Vindictive
by Black Ice and Blood Rain
Summary: Nothing better describes this beaten, raped, and angry girl, who's endured more hardships than most her age. With her parents dead, her stepfather an abusive drunk, and her anger close to the boiling point, how much longer will it take for her to snap?
1. I

He's been drinking again.

Who?

Him. My father. Well, not really my father; more like my stepfather.

Oh. From the way you say it, the drinking must be significant.

(hesitant pause) Yeah. It is.

In what way?

(silence)

Kagome? Is your father's drinking bad?

Is drinking ever good? On the rare occasions of sobriety, he says it calms him. But that's not true. I know that.

What does it do to him?

I...(hesitates)

Take your time. I don't want to pressure you; you don't have to tell me if you--

I wish I could say it changes him, but it doesn't. It just worsens him. When my mother was around, he played the best father in the world, so out of obligation to my mother, I played a daughter just as good.

But...when she wasn't around...?

(sighs) The usual. Beating, raping—it was almost routine, to be honest.

(shocked silence)

(bitter chuckle) Balled over, are you? Get over it. It happens.

(tries to recover) No, that's not what I...it's just that...that's not normal.

(sarcastically) Gee, really?

I'm sorry.

Don't be. It's not your fault.

So...what happened to your mother? If you don't mind me asking, that is.

No one ever really _doesn't _mind, do they? They say they don't, but it's a lie. It still hurts inside. Sure, I mind, but I'll tell you anyway. Even when he drank, he was as sweet as an angel around her. I think he really loved her. But I couldn't say for sure. (turns head to side, eyes listless) When he raped me, he called her name. Still does. Even after all this time...

Does...that bother you?

(head turns sharply to glare at her) No, it doesn't bother me at all that my stepfather calls my dead mother's name while he rapes me. Doesn't everyone? Of course it fucking bothers me. What do I look like, some kind of sicko psychopath?

I'm sorry.

(sighs in annoyance) Whatever. (turns head again) She died of, uh, what's that thing? Leukemia? Yeah, that. Chronic type. Slow killer, you know.

I do. I'm--(stops at irritated look thrown her way, looking embarrassed) It's a habit.

It's a bad one. Stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault; it sounds like you're overcompensating to me.

(looks at her in wonderment) Kagome, if you don't mind me saying, you seem like quite an intelligent girl, so there should really be no reason for your bad grades, even with the problems at home.

(sarcastically) Oh, please, forgive me for being too distracted by the bruises and gashes on my body, inflicted by my drunken stepfather, to concentrate on _schoolwork_. I've been such a bad girl! I don't need _him_ telling me that, let alone you.

(looks embarrassed again) I'm, uh, sorry.

(annoyed) It's fine...are we quite done here?

(checks watch) Five more minutes, but I suppose we could take an early day. Is there something you have to do?

Not really. I don't have much of a life, but you knew that.

Kagome, you really shouldn't say you don't have a life. Everyone has a life.

Not my grandparents. Not my father. Not my _mother_. _They _don't have lives—they're dead. (gets out of chair and heads for door)

That's not what I--(cut off by slammed door, then sighs)--meant. Never mind...

_Kagome stormed out of the school, then slowed her steps as she came to the sidewalk. She was in no hurry to go home. That scene in the school psychologist's office was one of many stifled temper tantrums she'd barely managed to keep from exploding into actual violence. Her violent streak was inexplicable—no one in her family had the temper she did, and she resented herself for it. It was the one thing that set her apart from the rest of her blood family, as well as one of the several things that made people think she was her stepfather's blood child. Not only were they both unnecessarily rampageous, but both of them had black hair and fierce gray eyes._

_Her fists clenched angrily just thinking about their obvious similarities. It made hating him that much easier. Her perpetually bad attitude was why people tended to avoid her; she just seemed to exude fury, and it repelled her peers. But she didn't care. Who needed friends, anyway? They liked to ask too many questions, and sooner or later, she'd end up hitting them._

_But as she headed into the forest closer to the beach and farther from her "home", she began to calm a little, remembering the psychologist's advice a few months before._

I feel like I've just got all this...pent-up anger inside of me, you know? Like I need to hurt something...or kill something.

My. That...um...(looks slightly uncomfortable) That's a bit disturbing.

Thanks for being so blunt.

What I meant was, that's not healthy. Anger eats away at your brain, then eventually the rest of your body, until you're left with nothing but an ulcer like a black hole.

(grimaces) Ew.

Ew indeed. You should find an outlet for your anger. Other than hurting or killing something, try simulation, or perhaps a calm sight.

Simulation? What do you mean by that?

I mean something like a punching bag. Something inanimate, something that won't feel the anger you're venting onto it. You could join the kendo squad, or take up tae kwon do.

I don't think so. Having people bark orders at me only makes me angrier. And that punching bag idea won't work either. What about the calm sight thing?

Go somewhere that calms you. Somewhere untouched by your problems.

(thinks a moment) You mean like those pretty places you see on calendars and computer desktops?

(smiles) Exactly. Have you ever been to the beach around sunset?

No. It never crossed my mind that I could actually go there then.

Whenever you get some free time, you should. It's quite beautiful. It's been known to soothe even the most troubled of souls.

(snorts) Then it should be perfect for me, then, huh?

I hope so. You really must control that anger.

Yeah...I guess.

_A smile, small but significant, touched her lips, and she walked faster. She was a good half-mile away from the beach, but it was okay. Anything to keep her away from home._

_This was the thought spurring her on, until an hour or so later, when the sun was low in the purple-splotched sky, and Kagome moved a dense cluster of branches out of her pathway, only to see a lone figure perched on the rock she usually sat on. She stared at the figure, flabbergasted._

What the hell is this?

_Distantly, she found it somewhat ironic that her anger was building in a place that was supposed to calm her._

I'll be damned if I share my peace with some other bastard!

_Petulant and feeling worse than when she had come, she whirled around and started back home. Kamikaze would kill her for coming in so late, but she would barely notice. Stomping through the brush, she grumbled under her breath._

Stupid—I can't believe this! I walk all the way here, just for some asshole to steal my calm! Now I'm gonna get my ass kicked for...ugh. Whoever that fool is, they better not invade my space again or I'll fucking murder them.

* * *

_It was three in the morning and Kagome was still nursing wounds. Kamikaze had gotten a little more besotted than usual, and hurt her accordingly, but she was so angry, she was able to fight back. She'd squirmed out of his grasp, grabbed his bottle of vodka from the kitchen table, and slammed it upside his head. As far as she knew, he was still passed out._

_However, though she was happy about this vengeance, she was still mad about the strange invader, and depressed that Kamikaze would clobber her even harder next time for her resistance._

Ah, well. (sighs) At least I knocked him the hell out before he could try and rape me tonight...God, this is so fucking..._ugh_.

_She winced as she applied peroxide to a particularly nasty gash she had._

Dumb bastard. (growls)

_When she was patched up, she put on a pair of dark purple basketball shorts, a black tank top, and a pair of matching sneakers, and left her room. Lights were on all around the house, and she cut them all off except the living room light. She kicked her stepfather in the gut for good measure, then walked out the front door. Kagome looked up at the moon overhead, cloaked by cerulean clouds, and began to walk. She hadn't snuck out of the house in quite some time, but she knew where she was going—into the city, where a huge ferris wheel rotated at night. She liked to admire the lights of the city from afar; she certainly couldn't do it often, but when she did, it calmed her significantly. She figured it was just what she needed to take her mind off of her many problems._

_The air was warm, a sign that spring was ending. And when spring ended, that meant summer could begin, which meant it could then end...The point was that time was passing, and quickly. The quicker time passed, the shorter amount of time it would take for Kagome to finally turn eighteen and leave the hellhole of a home her house had morphed into since her mother's death all that time ago. Her seventeenth birthday...she shuddered to remember. She'd had a miscarriage that day and was hospitalized for a few weeks due to some serious internal bleeding. Kamikaze didn't even care that she'd lost the child **he **impregnated her with. If anything, the beatings worsened._

God...if only I could kill him and not go to jail for it.

_She wasn't worried about any afterlife consequences, though—she already knew she was going to hell, or whatever happened to those punished by the gods. After all, how could she not? She'd obviously done something wrong, so this was her divine retribution. She was probably a murderer in a past life or something. Kagome chuckled at the thought. It would certainly explain her knack for violence._

_The silence of the backwoods in which she lived began to fade from her ears, replaced steadily by the sounds of inner-city life. She looked up at the wheel, illuminated by several different colors, and continued walking. Outside the wooden fence gates of the midway, she accidentally bumped into a young man standing with a group of males. They reeked of smoke. The man scowled at her._

Watch where you're going, bitch.

_His friends, obviously just as idiotic as he, laughed, and Kagome narrowed her eyes, deciding to ignore him...for now. She continued on her way into the carnival grounds, her mood spoiled, but she figured that once she was on the wheel for a little while, she would be okay again._

I won't worry about it. That ugly fucker's got something coming to him, just he wait...


	2. II

_Kagome left the wheel in a much better mood than before. She'd all but forgotten about her stepfather unconscious on the living room floor at home, or the interloper from earlier who'd encroached upon one of her few places of serenity. However, the jerk who'd called her a bitch earlier...he was still on her mind, and she didn't like it. In fact, she was looking for him now, her calm both disturbed and charged by her thoughts of revenge. She began an attempt to recall some attributes that had stood out about him. Now that she thought about it, he wasn't as grotesque as she'd first perceived, her opinion perverted by her anger at him. He had a mane of flowing hair—a light color, judging from the fact that she even noticed it in the darkness--, and a pair of blank eyes, also light, but not the same color as his hair. It would be easy to find him now._

_And find him she did, by himself, no less, smoking as he leaned against a metal fence. His eyes were closed, and Kagome took this opportunity to sneak close to him and steal a sucker punch straight to his face, making him go cross-eyed as he choked on his cigarette. Kagome smirked with the utmost satisfaction, walking away as casually as if she'd just asked him the time._

Now who's the bitch?

_She waited until she was out of the vicinity to break out into uproarious laughter, cutting through the darkness. A few minutes later, once her laughter had subsided, a pained whimper hit her supersensitive ears. She blinked, looking around, not sure she'd even heard anything, until she stumbled on something small, ebony, and furry._

(confused) What the hell?

_Kagome kneeled down and touched the hindrance, startled when a pair of weak, electric blue eyes peered helplessly at her. _

(in a sickly bark) Help...me...

Are...you a demon?

_The furry creature nodded ever so slightly, and Kagome picked it up by the scruff of its neck, eyeing it analytically. It appeared to be wounded, and since she hadn't seen any more demons like it around, she assumed it had been abandoned._

(shakes head) Poor thing.

_Kagome's first instinct was to put it out of its misery, and she put her fingers around its scrawny neck, but its slowly watering eyes pinpricked at her better nature, so with a weary sigh, she situated him in her arms._

Guess you're coming home with me...let's hope you live longer than I have.

_But she received no answer, for he'd already drifted off to sleep._

(mumbles) Or at least, I _hope _he's sleeping.

_The unknown demon animal either unconscious or asleep, Kagome walked the remainder of the way with him nestled in her arms. When she arrived at the house, she saw that the living room light had been switched off, and fear snaked up her spine. That was not how she'd left it. She dashed around the house to her bedroom window, and gasped. Her bedroom light was on..._

_There was no more doubt in her mind. Kamikaze was awake. And he was bound to be pissed._

_At first, she thought about running away somewhere else, but her common sense smacked her in the face._

Don't be stupid. Where the hell am I gonna go?

_She had no choice. She would have to face the beast. Biting her lip, she hid the demon in some nearby bushes, before going back to the front door and testing the knob. It was nonresistant, and her heart rate quickened. He was expecting her. He knew she'd be back. And he was right. He was always right. Kagome sighed under her breath._

Better me than that furry thing.

_She opened the door and walked in cautiously, quietly closing it behind her. So far, things seemed okay. Kagome tipped quietly through the living room and up the stairs to her bedroom, the sole light in the dark house. She felt a twinge of irony at this thought, but shook it off to concentrate on the more important task of getting into her room safely. When she paused for several minutes, listening for anything suspicious, and heard nothing, she breathed a sigh of relief._

Thank God...

_A small, triumphant smile on her face despite herself, Kagome turned off her light, then closed and locked her door. A wave of exhaustion came over her and she crawled into her bed, feeling as though she'd run a million miles in an hour. Just before sleep could take her, she heard a creak, but by the time her eyes flew open, it was too late. She had already been dragged by her ankle onto the cold, unforgiving hardwood._

Thought you were slick, did you?

(thinking frantically) _FUCK!_

Tried to sneak out, huh, bitch?

_Kagome found it extremely ironic that she'd punched a man she didn't even know for calling her that same thing, but found herself powerless against this one that she did know. The irony refused to stop when he punched her in the face and laughed harshly at the tears springing immediately to her eyes. His rank breath didn't help, either, and Kagome wondered just when he'd come to...that is, if he'd even ever been knocked out in the first place._

Don't you hear me talking to you?! Answer me!

_He slapped her, his broad and coarse palm not only bruising her cheek, but her eye as well._

Did you try to sneak out?!

(stammering nervously)

_He growled, and Kagome knew he was getting annoyed with her. Her eye was beginning to swell, and that combined with the pain of her bleeding nose was making her woozy._

Shut up, you stupid slut. I know just how to put an end to that. Starting at dawn, you're grounded for a week. No food, no water, and you're not leaving this room. You got that?

_Kagome wasn't sure which was worse—his groundings or his beatings. All she could do was nod shakily, and Kamikaze smirked toothily. A fragment of moonlight hit his face, showing his yellow-stained teeth. Kagome thought she would upchuck, but that would anger him, and that was the last thing she needed. Besides, if she threw up, she'd be hungry, and that would make the upcoming week an impossibility. She just hoped he would leave her in peace for it, but that hope was all but futile._

_Kamikaze traced his grubby finger along her disfigured face, leering at her with that familiar look in his eye that made Kagome want to cry aloud._

Strip.

_It seemed that the less words he said, the more business he meant, and when he said this, Kagome knew not to defy him. Trembling when he let up on her, she scooted backward and took off her top, the sudden blood rush to her face making her bruises that much worse_. _His quiet, lewd chuckles filled her ears as well as the room, and shame fanned the flames of her tears._

* * *

(silence, Kajiyama-san staring nervously at her lap)

(silence, Kagome glaring off to the side, her arms crossed)

So...um...

(snaps) You know what, don't bother, okay?! I don't want to talk right now!

(firmly) But Kagome, we need to talk about it. You look malnourished, your face is gaunt and bruised—what's been going on?

(just as firmly) Nothing's been going on. So leave me alone.

Something has to be—you haven't come to me in a week.

(averts eyes grudgingly) I've been grounded.

But Kagome...(sighs in frustration, trying to make sense of it) The attendance office said you were absent _all _last week.

I've been grounded.

That doesn't make sense!

I. Was. Grounded. What more do I have to say to make you understand that?!

Why were you grounded?

(sighs, annoyed) I snuck out.

(blows a sigh, feeling better) That's better. Now...now we can get somewhere. Okay, why did you sneak out?

I wanted to go to the Ferris wheel in the city.

(curious) Why?

I was pissed, so I wanted to do something to calm myself down.

(smiles) I'm glad you're starting to catch yourself before you do something drastic.

(snorts loudly) Too damn late, it seems. I shouldn't've snuck out in the first fucking place.

(smile falls) Well...er...tell me what happened anyway.

(listlessly) I left the house and went into the city. I accidentally bumped into some dude who called me a bitch. I got even more pissed, but I felt better once I got off the wheel and punched him in his cigarette-smoking, profanity-spewing mouth. I headed back home and found a half-dead wolf demon puppy on my way. I hid it in the bushes and snuck back into the house, but it didn't go as I'd planned, because just when I thought I was home free, he dragged me out of bed and beat me up, then forced me to have sex with him.

And by he, you mean your stepfather.

Who else?

Well, why were you angry in the first place? Didn't you go to the beach?

Yeah, I went, but somebody else was there. I can't stand being around people. I can barely tolerate school. So how do you think it makes me feel to see someone encroaching upon my private space?

(nods) I understand. So...you were grounded. Can you tell me what your groundings consist of?

No.

(blinks, bewildered)

I'm not at liberty to say, so you want to back away from that subject real quick.

(silent for a few moments, then speaks quietly) Does your physical ill-being have to do with you being grounded?

(defensive silence)

Kagome, you know, you can be helped, sweetheart. There's a number you can c--

(interrupts) I don't need Child Services stepping in on this one, okay? I've already been through that, and ended up at the same place. It's easier for me to just wait for school to end and October to begin.

October? (scratches head, confused)

My birthday.

...

My _eighteenth _birthday.

Oh. Oh! Right, right, when you're legally an adult.

Yeah. Then I can leave without being carried back to him.

Well, Kagome...there's always the option of running away.

(bored) Tried that year before last. I got halfway to China before the police "found me" and brought me back "home". (scoffs) Imbeciles.

Um...(thinks hard)

Any more bright ideas? I'm ever willing.

(embarrassed) There's...really nothing I can think of.

Didn't think so. So all I can do is go through the rest of this time by myself, on my own, _alone_.

I suppose...well, anyway. What of the wolf puppy you found?

I've managed to hide him from Kamikaze. I'm trying to nurse him back to health, and he seems to be doing better.

Have you named him or does he have his own name?

He calls himself Kouga. Or, at least, that's what he wrote in the sand with his claws.

Huh?

He can't talk, apparently. I've only heard him say three words to me, and that was when I first met him. He's never said anything else. (pauses) In fact, I need to go see about him now anyway.

Okay, Kagome. I'll see you tomorrow?

(gets up and goes to the door) I guess. (shrugs, then leaves)

_As Kagome left the school, her stomach rumbling, she sighed, thinking back on that lie. She wasn't going straight home—she was heading for the beach again._

_Idly, she wondered at the whereabouts of that intruder._


	3. III

_Kagome wanted to laugh. There the stranger was, perched on HER rock again. This time she knew for sure he was a male, since she could see his bare back._

I can't believe this. (shakes head) Some half-naked dude is invading my personal space, and not for the first time! No. This must end.

_She stepped out of the forest and onto the beach sand, approaching the rock. Now that she was within clear view of this man, she was taken aback at the prominent red of blood seeping from three jagged, deep gashes running diagonally along his back. Kagome grimaced. That looked painful, and she knew a lot about wounds. For a moment, she was so distracted by the lesions, she forgot about he himself. That is, until he spoke._

If you're gonna say something, say it now because you're getting on my nerves.

_Kagome almost jumped out of her skin, then recovered, feeling incensed. How dare he talk to her as if he owned this spot? **She **owned this spot!_

Hey, asshole, you're on my rock—get off.

At the risk of sounding immature, I don't see your name on it.

If you'll move your fat ass, you will.

_Kagome shoved him off of the rock and scampered onto it, pointing proudly to her full name engraved into it. The male scowled at her, realization dawning in his eyes. When she looked at him, her jaw dropped, and they had a simultaneous revelation._

(both) It's you!

(splutters indignantly) You're the klutzy bitch that sucker-punched me!

(seethes) And you're the sucker that called me a bitch! I oughta punch your fucking ass again!

_Kagome balled up her fists tightly, and the man narrowed his eyes._

I've got half a mind to fuck your ugly mug up even more.

_This only infuriated Kagome more, not to mention made her flush with the memory of how her face had gotten so disfigured, and with the force of a bulldozer, she shoved him onto the ground, making him bellow in pain. Kagome sneered, knowing how badly salt, rocks, and sand mixed with open wounds._

Yeah? Try it!

_The man snarled angrily, jumping to his feet, and shoved her back even harder._

You're just fucking lucky I don't fight girls, or they'd never find your body!

_For a moment, his words didn't register in her head, as she'd hit it on a particularly hard rock, but she snorted when she realized what he'd said._

Whatever. You look like you've beaten a few before.

_She carefully stood again, trying to regain her balance, and glared at him._

Now leave. This is my beach, and I've given you the proof that I own it.

It's a fucking free country, and you don't own a damn thing. I'll stay here as long as I want to.

(growls in annoyance) _Look_, damn it, this is the only place I have where I can be myself. It's supposed to calm me. It's _my _place. So get the hell out!

What are you, deaf?! I've been coming here for three years, and if anything, it's _my _beach!

Three—I've never seen you here a day in my life, you fucking liar!

Oh, I'm a liar, am I?

_He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her off to the farther side of the beach, ignoring her fervent resistance._

Hey! Where the hell are you taking me, you sick bastard?! I don't know you like that!

Shut up.

_He brought her to a cave, sealed off with a huge, craggy boulder. Keeping a tight hold on her, he pushed the rock out of the way with his foot and pulled her inside._

(crosses arms impatiently) So _why _the hell are we in a dank, hollowed-out rock?

(huffs) Shut up and you'll see!

_He put his hand in the air, apparently searching for something, and Kagome heard a click. The next thing she knew, the cave was lit up, and it looked like something from _Silence of the Lambs. _The light came from a sole lightbulb hanging from the ceiling, connected to a cord that trailed along the cave wall and disappeared beneath the sand. A makeshift fireplace had been constructed from stone, and a bed was situated against the wall, made up of three old mattresses, two pillows, and two comforter quilts. It was then that Kagome noticed the writings on the wall: short dates followed by a name—Inuyasha. The oldest date written was November 3, 2005, and the most recent was last week Thursday, dated April 24, 2008._

(nods sarcastically) Nice, very nice...very Buffalo Bill.

(scoffs) This has been the fortress marking my possession of this beach since '05. Proof enough for you?

_Before she could retort, he shoved her out and pushed the rock back in its place._

Look, dumbass, just because you crafted yourself a little playhouse on this beach doesn't mean you _own _it.

And just because you chiseled your name in a rock on this beach doesn't mean _you _own it! So I guess we're at an impasse, aren't we?!

(crosses arms resolutely) I guess so.

(sighs, exasperated, as he looks at his watch) Okay, you know what? It's almost eight, and I have to get back home before I get in trouble.

_Kagome paled. Eight? Her curfew was five—she'd forgotten all about it!_

_Inuyasha didn't seem to notice her discomfort, so he went on._

How about this? I don't like you and you don't like me, but that doesn't mean we both can't be on the same beach at the same time. You have your side of it and I'll have my side. Agreed?

(hurried) Yeah, sure, fine, whatever—I gotta go!

_She dashed off, leaving Inuyasha blinking in bewilderment._

* * *

(in drawn-out syllables) Well...well..._well_.

_Kamikaze paced back and forth, as Kagome sat on her bed, refusing to break eye contact with him. She knew him well enough that he would beat her even harder if she were to do that during such a situation._

Violated your curfew, did you? And you _just _got punished last week. What do you have to say for yourself?

I apologize, honorable stepfather.

_It made her guts churn to speak such egregious lies, but it made him happy and smug and she knew it. She was playing him like a harp, but he knew that._

(smirks) Kissing up, eh? I should make you beg like the dog you are for my forgiveness...as a matter of fact, get on your knees.

_Kagome was no fool. She knew just what this would lead to, and as she complied, she felt a piece of her heart wither and die._

That position suits you...it's kind of a turn-on.

_She wanted to retch when he licked his lips, justifying the growing bulge in his work pants._

Beg! Beg me to forgive you, and I might let you eat tonight! (smirk curves his lips) Of course, I hope you'll like what I have to offer. It's not much, but you can think of it as milk if you want.

_Kagome burned with rightful hate, but she forced down what little pride she still had, and put her hands together as if she were praying. Secretly, she was._

Please, honorable stepfather, I beg your forgiveness! I'll do anything!

(perverse smile widens, showing all of Kamikaze's teeth) I was hoping you'd say that.

_He unfastened his pants, and Kagome swallowed hard, willing herself not to cry. A tinny growl sounded from beneath her bed, and Kouga, the coal-black furball, leapt out, his tiny claws slashing Kamikaze's exposed manhood. He made a choked noise, his breathing labored, and fell to the floor, purple in the face. Kagome stared at Kouga as he scurried out of her room, and intrigued by her little savior, she followed after him. The wolf puppy led her into the kitchen, gesturing urgently with his snout to the refrigerator, and Kagome interpreted this as "get some food, quickly"._

_As she gathered various goodies in a bag, she tried to slow down her heartbeat. She couldn't believe it—the weak, half-dead puppy she'd discovered some time ago had saved her from a fate beyond humiliating._

(awed) Kouga...how did you know I was in trouble? And how did you get under my bed?

_He remained silent as ever, indicating impatience, but Kagome smiled nevertheless, undeniably grateful. It was enough that he'd saved her; she didn't really need details. She closed the refrigerator and kneeled down to pick him up and embrace him._

Thanks, kid. You really saved my ass back there...I appreciate that.

_Kouga whimpered, and Kagome grinned at his discomfort, letting him down. She followed him out of the house and a long way into the woods, until they reached a creek that she'd never known about._

Is this where you're living?

_He nodded, leading her to a small burrow he'd scratched out, and Kagome took it to be his own little den. It was big enough for her to move around in, so she crawled inside with him. She was a little surprised at its warmth._

Wow...Kouga, you're doing excellent for yourself!

_The small wolf beamed proudly._

So why did you bring me here?

_Kagome watched carefully as Kouga slowly drew out kanji characters on the dirt floor. It read "HIDE". She struggled to make sense of the simple word, scratching her head in confusion._

"Hide"?

_Looking mildly frustrated, Kouga drew the word "YOU" in front of "HIDE"._

"You hide"? ...Me hide? You want me to hide in here?

_He nodded slowly, as if to say "DUH!" Kagome grinned sheepishly, feeling dumb._

Right...of course. That's why you told me to bring the food, right?

_Again did he nod, and Kagome beamed, rubbing his ear._

(proudly) You're the smartest pup in the world, Kouga. But...I didn't even know about this stream until you showed me. What makes you think he would?

_It took some time, but Kouga managed to write out "HERE BEFORE", and Kagome's eyes widened._

He's been here before?!

_Kouga nodded gravely. Sure enough, the sound of gunshots startled Kagome almost to death, and Kamikaze's angered voice filled the formerly calm air._

Where'd that goddamned mutt get to? I'm gonna shoot him to death!

_On instinct, Kagome grabbed Kouga protectively, but he growled under his breath, gesturing with his snout to a rock in the far corner of the burrow._

Oh—right!

_She put Kouga down and rolled the rock in front of the opening, immediately plunging them into pitch blackness. They waited silently, Kouga listening as hard as he could to the furious mumbles of Kamikaze, while Kagome was helpless to do anything but be quiet. Was this how she was to live the rest of her adolescent life? Hiding in a puppy's foxhole, praying her angered stepfather wouldn't find her, as he was bound to? Endangering Kouga's life in the process?_

_Kagome sighed as quietly as possible, feeling as low as the hole they were in. Kouga didn't deserve possible death for _her. _This had to end._

_If only she weren't so frightened of Kamikaze..._


	4. IV

Black Ice: Alright, alright...we've been getting complaints about the whole psychologist thing, about how Kagome's been telling her all that stuff and nothing's been done.

Blood Rain: You forget—this is only the _beginning of the story_. Everything hasn't been explained.

Black Ice: Just give us time, people—it'll all make sense sooner or later.

* * *

_Kamikaze didn't forfeit his search until sometime around midnight. Kagome had to admit, he was annoyingly persistent. Kouga had buried his cold nose in her hands after she'd gone to sleep, to signal that it was time to move the rock. When she did, she was shocked to see that it was dark outside. She crawled out of the hole, brushing herself off, and took a deep breath. He was gone. But where was he? And in the meantime, what was Kagome going to do? She couldn't live in Kouga's den forever—besides, he would eventually grow up and move on, and what would she do then? Follow him?_

_It was impossible. This existence could not persist—something had to be done. She sat on the ground, her back leaning against a tree, and Kouga came into her lap, laying down. Absently, she stroked his head._

Kouga, I have to do something. About him. I can't just let you keep putting yourself in grave danger like this—if he'd found us, he'd kill you. And I just can't live with that on my conscience, no matter how much of a bitch I may be.

_Kouga was still with thought for some time, then reached down to the ground and wrote "NEED HELP". Kagome nodded, in full agreement._

You're right...we're in some pretty deep shit here, buddy. We could use a little help. But our closest neighbors are a mile away, and in the city, so who would even take us seriously? (scowls) Those city bastards think we're just a bunch of hicks, Kouga. Just because we live in the boonies. Well, screw them anyway!

_As she ranted, she didn't notice Kouga clawing the word "LOOK" into the dirt, until he nudged her with his paw, and she looked up. Her eyes widened at the sight of a nearly naked man, dripping with water, walking up the creek, from the farther depths of the forest._

(whispers nervously) I didn't know the creek extended past this spot! Who is that?!

_Kouga emphatically tapped the previously written word "HELP" and Kagome's jaw dropped. She got up and scampered behind a tree, watching as Inuyasha stepped out of the water and onto dry land, shaking himself off. Kouga trotted out of the darkness up to him, reaching up and tugging on his trunks to get his attention._

Oh, Kouga, it's you. What's up?

_Kagome stared in astonishment as Kouga barked a string of canine words, and Inuyasha nodded, apparently understanding._

(mumbles under breath) Asshole.

_She nestled further into the darkness when he looked in her direction. He shrugged, then turned back to Kouga, and Kagome peered around the tree, continuing to listen in on the conversation._

Yeah, well, sorry, dude, but I can't help your friend. I got enough problems of my own, as you may be able to tell.

_He gestured to more scars along his arms, new scars that had definitely not been there when Kagome last saw him. Kouga cocked his head with a curious whimper._

I'm homeless, Kouga. Sesshoumaru kicked me out—apparently, I'm too old to be being "mollycoddled" like a child.

_Kouga gave an outraged bark, and Inuyasha chuckled bitterly._

Heh...yeah, I know. (gestures to his scars) If he considers this mollycoddling, I'd hate to see his punishments...but it can't be helped. I guess it's for the best, anyway—I don't have to put up with his shit anymore. I'm free, right?

_Kouga shook his head, looking at Inuyasha with pitying eyes. Inuyasha scowled._

Don't do that, dude. Don't fucking pity me—you know I hate that. I _am _free. I can do whatever I want now.

_Kouga snarled, startling Kagome, but it sounded as though he was admonishing Inuyasha._

Kouga, so what?! I don't need money! And besides, I can ask one of my friends if I can stay with them.

_His reply was a sarcastic growl, and Inuyasha narrowed his eyes._

They are so my friends. Look, I'm not arguing with you. I've got somewhere to go.

_He began walking out of the forest, and Kouga followed him, barking a demanding question._

He _took _all my so-called possessions. Like I give—I'll just steal some clothes from some house.

_Kouga just kept barking, sounding angrier and angrier by the second, and Kagome moved from behind the tree when Inuyasha was completely out of sight. Grumbling in frustration, Kouga trotted back over to Kagome's feet, glaring behind him. Miffed, Kagome grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and boring her eyes into his baffled ones._

What the hell was that?

(blinks) Aroo?

I hate that guy. He gets on my nerves. So why would you ask him to help me? I don't want his crappy help. Isn't he homeless or something?

_Kouga lashed out at her as well in chastisement, and Kagome pursed his lips, dropping him. He landed awkwardly on the ground, then got to his feet, indignantly sticking out his chest. He glared at her, and even she understood that that meant "Aren't _you_?"._

Okay, bad example. I'm not _homeless—_I just don't necessarily reside anywhere...permanently.

_For some reason, Inuyasha's cave popped up into her mind, but she quickly shook it away. She looked down at Kouga, busily scribbling "GO" in huge kanji._

Go where?! I'm not following him!

_Growling, Kouga turned and dashed off, and without thinking, Kagome ran after him, stupidly yelling his name. She was forced to skid to a screeching halt when Kouga skittered between a pair of legs and kept going, while she knocked straight into her stepfather. She fell backwards to the ground, and, driven by adrenaline and instinct, rolled out of his range when he reached down to grab her._

(shaking with fear) Leave me alone!

_Kagome scrambled to her feet, shrieking when he lifted her off the ground by the front of her shirt, baring his teeth._

Where the fuck were you, you little whore?! And who's _Kouga_?! Is that the mutt that jumped from under your bed?!

_Usually, struggle was all but futile, but this time, Kagome squirmed relentlessly in his grasp. She had to go after Kouga before something bad happened._

Let me go!

(eyes flash in outrage) _What?! _Bitch, are you protesting?!

Let me—_go_! (kicks hard)

_Kagome ended up dropping to the ground sans shirt, and Kamikaze looked befuddled, holding her shirt in his hands instead of her. She quickly got up and ran off as quick as she could, praying she could find Kouga._

(splutters) G—get back here!

_Kamikaze chased after her, his beady eyes narrowing, and Kagome tried her best not to look behind her. She was doing it. She was running away from him—for once she refused to submit to his forceful will!_

_But the question was, where would she run? And how long could she before things got too far out of hand?_

* * *

_Light had barely broken over the horizon when Kagome collapsed on sandy ground, gasping for breath in the chilly air. She hadn't stopped running even when she **knew **Kamikaze had stopped following her. Her pupils were unevenly sized, and her body was cold, but she had gotten away. Weakly, she lifted her head and looked around. Where was she? Everything was such a blur, especially in this half-darkness of dawn, but she thought she could make out a dark blue...or was it black? Damn her exhaustion!_

_She just wanted to close her eyes and go to sleep. Sleep for the first time knowing Kamikaze wouldn't be able to harm her while she slept. But every time she shut her lids, she saw this blinding light that annoyed her. What the hell was that? So she forced herself to prop her eyes open, fighting sleep and possibly death. An indistinct figure approached her line of indiscernible sight, a peculiar combination of what seemed like shiny white at the top, regular white in the middle, and blue at the bottom. What was **that**? **Who **was that? Would they try to hurt her? She prayed not. She just got away from the biggest threat of her life; she didn't need a new one barging in._

(sighs in annoyance) Damn me and my sense of obligation....

_And before Kagome could rightfully protest, she was scooped up in the figure's presumably male arms and carted off to God knew where. She tried to speak, to object to this abruptness, but her throat was raw from inhaling the cold air so hard. She could barely get out a cough, and when she **did **cough, she felt as though her lungs would shrivel up and fall onto her stomach, or perhaps she'd hack them up like hairballs from a cat._

_She wanted to chuckle in spite of herself. Even in the state that she was, she retained her sense of humor. That was good; she felt she'd need them in the days to come. Kagome redirected her attention to her carrier. He didn't seem to have malicious intent, which Kagome usually had an instinct for detecting, but to be honest, she'd been fooled before..._

_That thought in mind, she finally let her mind drift, unaware that she'd gone to sleep._

**As soon as her mother had introduced Kagome to her new "friend", she developed an instant distrust of him. The leer with which he greeted her was enough to send her running, let alone the look in his eyes. They were a piercing gray, the same color as hers, but his held possession, whilst hers were innocent, typical of a five-year-old.**

"**I don't like him." Kagome had said, frowning.**

"**Now that's not nice, sweetheart." Her mother reprimanded softly, kneeling down and touching her shoulder with one of her kindly smiles. Kagome liked it when she smiled. It made her want to do the same. But this man—what was his name? Kaminari?--exuded such bad vibes that she could not. "Kaminari's a very good person, and he absolutely loves children." Kagome's wary eyes drifted from her mother's tender ones to Kaminari's, but she could no longer read the expression behind them. She figured, however, it had to do with the chill she got when her mother said the last part of that sentence. She felt like she needed to say something along the lines of "I bet..."**

"**That's right, Kagome. Your mom told me you don't have a daddy. Is that true?" Kagome neither agreed nor disagreed; she simply stared at him as if he were stupid. "Well, I'm here to be your daddy." He smiled in what was _supposed _to be comforting, and Kagome's mother rolled her eyes, amused.**

"**He means he wants to be your friend, Kagome."**

"**I don't wanna be his friend. Why can't he find some other friend?" Kagome protested stubbornly, and Kaminari feigned hurt.**

"**Aw, Kagome, you hurt my feelings." He pouted, but there was something mocking in the way he did it, as if he were talking down to Kagome. Then again, she knew that he was.**

"**I don't care." She turned from her mother and ran up the stairs, feeling his eyes burning into her back the entire time. **

_The light had been the sun. How stupid could Kagome be? She had been under the impression that she was dying, but even **she **knew that sinners went to hell to burn in eternal fire, or something along those lines; she wasn't getting anywhere near the pearly gates any time soon, that was for sure._

_Not only that, but the blurry man had been the one she thoroughly disliked, and this was realized about four or so hours later, when she woke up. Her vision had been properly restored, but she feared to see if her voice had been. Her eyes darted around, assessing the current state of things, and she saw that she was in the cave from earlier. The one that Inuyasha freak had showed her. Kagome scowled, crossing her arms and sitting up. Nobody had asked for his help. Stupid, helpful bastard. How dare he try to help her when he had all kinds of slashes on his body? How much of an asshole do you have to be to give help when help is unneeded?_

_Her disgust with him becoming unbearably, she got to her feet—wobbly at first, but she soon got the hang of walking—and headed for the cave opening. She bumped right into him, hurt by a bunch of sticks he carried._

Whoa, whoa, what the hell?!

_Kagome glared at him and attempted to speak._

(raspy) Fuck y--(coughs uncontrollably)

_Kagome's eyes nearly crossed with the pain of trying to talk, and it was clear that her throat was still screwed up. Inuyasha shook his head._

See, this is why I would never work in a hospital or something. Sick people are such idiots.

_Kagome clenched her fists angrily, frustrated beyond belief that she could not express herself verbally. Thus, she opted for the ever-ready alternative—**physical **expression. She shoved him out of her way, ignoring that he was shirtless—he obviously loathed shirts—and started walking out once more._

Hey, you can't leave!

_Inuyasha grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back, looking sternly at her furious facial expression._

I don't care how pissy you get—you are not leaving here. You obviously don't know that that guy reported you missing as soon as you left, and Kouga's told me how dangerous he is.

_Kagome blanched, though she should've expected as much. Kamikaze was one persistent bastard. Had she said that already? Ah, well—it called for reiteration anyhow. She dared not challenge his power, so with a painful half-sigh, she sat back on the makeshift bed, feeling at the lowest point in her life._


	5. V

_In the subsequent days of her "entrapment"--or at least, that was how it felt to Kagome—she learned that silence yielded quite a vast array of knowledge. By being vocally disabled, she'd learned a staggering amount. For instance, her "captor" was quite thoroughly enjoying the fact that she couldn't speak, but she was far from stingy with a few rude gestures—the middle finger, more specifically. The captor apparently found this amusing._

_Such was the case today, as he prepared some herbal brew from her throat. He cracked the lame joke he'd been cracking for the past week now:_

Can you talk yet? (snickers)

_By now, Kagome was too tired to reply with the usual glare, so she flatly flipped him the bird, all the while staring, bored, out the crudely carved window at her side. Cave life was, at the risk of sounding repetitive, boring._

(chuckles, shaking head) Want me to leave you alone, huh?

(raspy) Greatly appreciated. (coughs a little)

Okay, okay. Just don't talk. You sound like a dying giraffe. (grins)

_And for the first time in quite some time, Kagome smiled. She hadn't been able to help herself; it was funny how he described her voice, especially since he was right on the mark with that._

(whispers hoarsely) Point taken. But it doesn't make you any less an asshole.

Oh, no, I already know that. If anything, it makes me even more of one, but I suppose it just comes with the pessimistic package.

(whispers hoarsely) If that's the case, then I'm an asshole too.

(gasps in feigned shock) _No. _Really? I hadn't even noticed!

_Kagome smirked sarcastically at him._

Well, you certainly hide it well. I thought you were the perfect angel!

(whispers hoarsely) Funny man, I see.

Ah, that, my dear, comes with the package as well. (winks cheekily)

_Kagome merely rolled her eyes, and he chuckled, spooning the hot, therapeutic brew into a small wooden bowl. He approached her with it, and as soon as the smell hit her nose, she grimaced a little. Once she saw the green and brown contents, her face was fully scrunched, and she recoiled slowly._

Uh...I'm not eating that.

(quirks eyebrow) You want to sound like a squished frog forever?

_No_. But I'm still not eating that. That looks like liquefied puke coupled with a healthy dollop of wet diarrhea.

(smiles at her, impressed) You are so imaginative. I never would have strung those words together like that.

_Kagome didn't know why—it might have been the (nonexistent) heat—but her face suddenly got uncomfortably warm and she huffed, turning away._

I just...call 'em like I see 'em. That's all.

A refreshingly uncanny call.

(silent for a few moments, then hesitates) What's in that stuff, anyway?

(laughs) Certainly none of what _you _described, that's for sure. No, it's eucalyptus...ginger root...diluted seawater...uh...oh, I stewed some palm fronds in there...and coconut milk for flavor. If I'm not mistaken, I might've added fish oil—

Whoa, whoa! Stop right there! I am _not _eating all that mixed-up crap! (coughs uncontrollably)

_Inuyasha shook his head as she suffered through one of many coughing fits._

That is exactly why you're still sick. You shun help. (gets up from the stool he sat on, towering over her sitting form) Whenever you decide you want to get better, it'll be here. Just don't wait until it gets cold; it's ineffective then. (places the bowl on table and heads for the door)

Hey! (hacks roughly) Where the hell do you think you're going?!

To get some wood for tonight's fire. Do what you want.

_And he left, leaving Kagome feeling lightheaded—from the exhaustive coughing, she presumed—and flustered. When it came to matters such as this, she was usually not given a choice. She was either forced to do something or forced not to, but either way, there was force involved. But now that she could virtually do what she wanted, she was at a loss. Did she drink the disgusting-looking brew and get better? Or did she ignore the presence of the possibly remedy, her willpower and stubbornness triumphing over his in the long run?_

_She gave a creaky sigh, annoyed. Once again was she caught in the longstanding battle between her pride and her sense, and the mental tug-of-war further exhausted her. With a resigned sight, she picked up the bowl of...stuff...and peered warily at it._

Fuck. (coughs slightly)

_It was mindblowing how Kagome despised to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right—like always, it seemed—but she couldn't help it; she felt as though she **had **to rebel against him as hard as possible. However, even though it smelled pretty off-putting, and looked remarkably worse, she hadn't eaten in days. Her eyes darted around suspiciously, making sure no one was around, and she took a quick sip of the concoction._

_Perhaps it was the fact that she was starved out of her mind. Maybe it was the slight delusion creeping up on her. Hell, it might have even been genuinely good. But when Kagome sampled that brew, her stomach roared for more._

Maybe...it wouldn't kill me to have just one more sip.

_So she took one. But one more sip turned into two, and two sips turned into a swallow. A swallow turned into two, and soon enough, she was practically licking the bowl clean. In spite of herself, she was smiling as she finished the rest off in the bowl, feeling her throat healing already._

I'm surprised—it actually tasted pretty good!

_Her eyes fell upon the big cauldron, from which barely visible steam rose, indicating that the brew had yet to lose its heat and thus its soothing effect. With a shrug, she said to hell with her pride, and happily refilled her bowl._

* * *

_It was the best sleep of her life. The only sleep in which she hadn't been plagued with horrible nightmares of Kamikaze, and he had to ruin it. What an ass._

Hey, wake up!

_Kagome grumbled querulously as Inuyasha shook her roughly._

(normal voice) Must you be so rough?! It's bad enough that I have to see your face as soon as I wake up in the morning, but now I'm going to be grumpy for the rest of the day! I hope you're happy, ass!

Morning? Perhaps you haven't looked out the window.

_Kagome blinked, and did so, scratching her head in confusion at the dark scene._

Huh? Night? But...I thought I slept until morning...

Oh, you did. And the next morning. And the next morning. You've been asleep for four days, Kagome.

F—what?!

Yeah...I probably should've told you. That stuff you ate? That _huge cauldron _you _singlehandedly _ate?

(squirms in embarrassment) What about it?

My mother called it "sleep stew". It's extremely powerful; it heals a sore throat, but drunken in large amounts, induces deep sleep, and _you _drank the whole damn pot.

Well, excuse me for being hungry! (huffs) And why the hell didn't you tell me that?!

(smirks) Didn't think you'd eat "diarrhea mixed with puke". So I didn't figure it was very necessary.

...You're still an asshole.

Yeah, I know. So I guess you don't want any of this asshole's yakisoba.

_Kagome's eyes brightened and she finally noticed the food boxes in his hands. He laughed at her childlike hunger._

Wow, you're still hungry? I'm surprised at _that_.

Where'd you get yakisoba? I thought you were a broke-ass as well as an asshole.

Well, I was. And then I acquired some money and bought food with it. (quirks eyebrow) Is that a problem?

(shrugs) I don't care. I just want my food. But if people come looking for you, I don't know you and you kidnapped me.

_Inuyasha laughed again, handing her one of the boxes and a pair of chopsticks._

I bet you also didn't realize how well your throat cleared up.

_Kagome paused for a moment, blinking wildly; how didn't she notice that?_

(sniffs) ...Yes, I did.

_Right_. Of course you did. (snickers)

Stop being such a douchebag!

Can't help it, I suppose. Now hurry up and eat your food...before I do it for you.

_With a huff, Kagome opened the box and started to eat. She noticed that Inuyasha wasn't, though, and was instead sitting on the floor with his eyes closed. She looked down at the noodles in her grasp and bit her lip, overtaken with curiosity._

Hey...Inuyasha.

_His rounded triangular ears, though buried in his hair, perked up, indicating he was listening, even though his eyes remained closed. Chances were he was shocked that she'd called him by his name for the first time ever._

How did you come across this food? I mean, seriously.

Thought you didn't care.

I don't. I'm just curious, that's all.

I didn't steal it, if that's what you're thinking.

...

_Honestly, the thought hadn't crossed her mind, but she figured he wouldn't believe her if she were to point that out._

I bought it legitimately. That's all you need to know.

_Kagome shrank back in offense, then pursed her lips, continuing to eat. _

_Neither of them said another word to each other for the rest of the night._


	6. VI

Black Ice: (grins) _Wellz_...I just finished reading _The Princess Bride_, the abridged "good parts" version by William Goldman, and it was _awesomeness! _I now finally understand that quote: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. Prepare to die." (laughs uproariously) It was hi_larious_!

Blood Rain: (sighs) Oh, Lord. Here it goes.

Black Ice: And big Fezzik—I have _got _to create a character after him! And Inigo as well! Westley I could somewhat do without...he wasn't my favorite. Neither was Buttercup. I wasn't too fond of her. Weird, huh? The main characters in the story, and I don't care about either. Hmm. Might model someone after Humperdinck as well, but that's really more up Rain's alley.

Blood Rain: What did I tell you about making obscure references to _book people_?

Black Ice: (quirks eyebrow) Uh..."book people"? Don't you mean--

Blood Rain: I don't care! Shut up and let's get on with the damn story already!

* * *

_Kagome had nearly forgotten all about her ookami friend, until about a week later, when he bounded out of the forest, slightly bigger than he used to be for some reason. He dashed up to her as she sat on the beach, wiggling her naked toes in the cool, mushy sound._

(blinks in astonishment) Kouga? What are _you _doing here? And...did you get bigger?

(voice strains) That's...not...important...now.

_Kagome went wide-eyed, blown over by shock. She'd never heard him speak before, and even though his voice was labored, it was still a handsome tenor._

Is there something wrong?

You and...Inuyasha...must leave. Kamikaze...is on his...way here...with police!

_Kagome's heart stopped for a fraction of a millisecond, then revved right back up at a million miles an hour._

I too...must escape—he is on...my trail as well.

_Before Kagome could say anything, an agonized snarl ripped through Kouga's fangs, effectively silencing her._

There...is not...much time, Kagome. I thank you...eternally for...all you have done...for me, and though...I fear we may...never again cross pathways...in this life...I know we will meet again...someday.

_And he leapt into the ocean and dog-paddled with all his fearsome might. Kagome scrambled to her feet, disbelief making tears spring to her eyes._

(cries out) I—Kouga! Where are you—wait!

_Swallowing the lump in her throat, she ran into the cave, where Inuyasha was inexplicably destroying everything in there. She also noticed a smelly liquid all over the floor._

(frantic) What are you _doing_?!

_Inuyasha didn't even pause to look at her._

You were coming to tell me that Kamikaze's coming, right? I already heard.

THEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!

Destroying evidence that we were ever here. Well, you anyway. I'm barely a tick on the radar to them at this point. Care to assist?

_Though she trembled slightly, Kagome nodded, and in moments, the cave looked like a junkyard. Inuyasha cut the cord of the lightbulb, sending it crashing to the ground. Kagome squeaked jumpily, and Inuyasha took her by the wrist, guiding her out of the cave as quickly as possible. He took a small firecracker and a brushed steel lighter from his pocket and looked at her, his face the utmost of seriousness._

Don't question what I'm doing. Don't even speak until I tell you it's safe. I've been planning this for a while, so I know exactly where I'm going and what I'm doing. Once I throw this firecracker, lit, into the cave, jump onto my back and I'm going to run extremely fast, so I advise you to hold on tight. Do you understand all that?

_Wordless and numb, Kagome nodded again, and Inuyasha ignited the firecracker. As soon as the spark appeared, he chucked it into the cave and Kagome hopped onto his back. He rushed out of the vicinity and down the beachfront, barely a few yards away from what used to be his coveted cave before it exploded into millions of tiny bits of rock. Kagome gaped, her grip almost slackening in her amazement. Was he insane? Did he **want **to alert the police to their whereabouts?_

_Then again, he couldn't be **too **crazy, as he was knee deep in the ocean water, so that their—or rather, **his—**footprints would be unable to be detected, even when the authorities got there. Inuyasha ran as though his, not Kagome's, life depended upon it, and suddenly, Kagome was stricken with a feeling she'd never personally experienced before: guilt. Waves and waves of it. She barely knew this man—hated him, in fact—and yet, here he was, risking life and limb for her. Surely obligation didn't run **that **deeply, right? He'd destroyed his personal hideaway, one that would've still been intact, had she not barged into his life so abruptly..._

_No, what was she thinking? Mentally, she shook her head, narrowing her eyes at his snowy head. **He **had been the one to intrude upon **her **life, not the other way around! How dare he make her feel guilty, when she had done absolutely nothing wrong? One thing was for certain: he sure did stay true to his title of "royal jackass". Content with these thoughts, Kagome noticed the sand begin to fade, giving way to grassy land. She looked behind them, just catching a glimpse of a bunch of tiny figures in the distance, before the beach scenery was completely gone. She assumed that those figures were the police force, arriving on the scene to investigate that explosion. No doubt it would buy them some time, and Kagome smiled for some reason, the brightest she had smiled in quite some time. That clever bastard! He knew exactly what he was doing! He wasn't insane at all! Maybe she shouldn't've doubted him; maybe she really could put faith in his word._

_Of course, it seemed as though she had already done so. After all, she wasn't saying a word, just as he'd demanded, and apparently, in doing so, she had done her little part in this getaway. Or at least, that's how she felt. In any case, they were certainly doing well for themselves, and Kagome allowed her thoughts to wander back to Kouga. What had he meant when he said they might never meet again in "this lifetime"? Where was he going? And for that matter, where was **she **going? Though Inuyasha said he'd been planning the getaway for some time, he'd never discussed such plans with her; was that his intent? To keep her in the dark about things? If so, then why? It wasn't as though she would reveal any information to anyone or anything. Did he not trust her?_

_Now Kagome was annoyed. Not only because there was the possibility that Inuyasha distrusted her, but also because she despised this silence. In silence, one's mind wandered, and one was forced to dwell on otherwise unpleasant things, such as this. She'd much rather do something mind-numbingly menial, or at least engage her mind in something that didn't require deep thought. Something like counting tiles or something. This gave her an idea—she would count the trees!_

_Only three seconds later, she quickly abandoned **that **pursuit; Inuyasha was going much too fast for trees to be anything but green and brown blurs, much less counted. She sighed, now bored. Since the threat of discovery seemed far away at the time, there was nothing to occupy her anymore, especially since she'd pretty much covered all the emotional bases. But she dared not inform Inuyasha of her boredom, lest he possibly be angered, so she endured it in silence, deciding instead to listen to the sounds of nature._

_She listened._

_And listened._

_And listened some more._

_But Inuyasha's footsteps were so damnably loud on the wet grass, they drowned out any other sounds that might have alerted her to their location. (In all truth, his footsteps weren't loud at all; in fact, they were virtually inaudible. But when one listens too hard, one hears things that usually aren't there.) God, why was he so intent on annoying her? The worst part about it was how he was doing it all inadvertently—he hadn't the slightest idea what he was doing! Taking a mental deep breath, Kagome calmly reminded herself that those "loud" feet were currently transporting her to safety, so who was she to complain about them?_

_Suddenly, she felt tired, and she rested her chin on his shoulder, committed to blanking her mind completely. This would be a long journey, and she did not need her outlandish thoughts making things difficult..._

* * *

_It had been eight-sixteen when Kagome woke this morning. It was nine when she decided to go out and sit in the sand. Thirty minutes passed before Kouga came to her. Inuyasha had begun escaping with her at around nine forty-two. Now, it was, according to Kagome's watch and squinted eyes, eleven-fourteen, and he was **just **coming to a stop. She had to marvel at his stamina, especially since he didn't even seem to tire. He had run them inexhaustibly through backwoods for hours on end, and there was no telling how many miles he'd spanned._

_When he stopped, he let Kagome get off, helping her to stand when her legs wobbled slightly. Riding on his back was like being on a roller coaster._

Do you know where we are?

_His voice startled her, especially since she hadn't heard it for a while, and she took this as her cue to finally speak._

(clears throat) No. Should I?

_He chuckled a little, and started walking along a path heading northeast. Naturally, Kagome followed him, and soon, she saw a bright light—in fact, many bright lights—come into view. He seemed to have led them to a gas station. They walked around to the front, but Inuyasha stopped her._

What's _your _deal?

No shoes, no service.

_Kagome blinked, looking down at her feet, and grinned sheepishly._

I thought I felt a breeze between my toes.

Allow me; you wouldn't know how to proceed anyway.

_Kagome huffed, crossing her arms, and waited outside while Inuyasha went in._

(grumbles) I swear, that guy is an _ass_!

_Inuyasha returned a few minutes later, with provisions for both of them. He handed her a bag of hot fries, which she dove into. How did he know those were her favorite?_

As you may or may not know—I can never be sure with you, because, after all, you just now realized you had on no shoes—I am an inuhanyou. My "kind" is a little bit taboo in our parts, more specifically Sapporo, but I originally hail from this town: Abashiri. This is where humans and demons, as well as practitioners of the occult, live together in peace and harmony and whatnot. My...brother didn't share the Abashirian belief, so he relocated us when I was younger.

_Kagome noticed how he said the word "brother" exactly how she said "stepfather": with an undertone of contempt._

(quietly) You and your brother aren't the best of friends, huh?

Precisely the reason I was able to accompany you on this little excursion. Also the reason I even had that cave in the first place—I needed somewhere to get away from him.

...Wish I had had one of those.

It did come in handy, but I can't dodge him forever. Or at least, I couldn't. Now that he's kicked me out of his house, I don't really have to worry about him anymore, I guess.

Is he where you got that gaping wound from?

...Yeah. He is.

_And again, Kagome felt that wave of guilt moving all over her skin, accompanied by little uncomfortable goosebumps._

I'm sorry.

Huh? For what?

For...that one day, when I pushed you into the sand just to agitate the wound. I shouldn't've done that.

Aw, don't sweat it; I would've done the same thing. After all, I _did _call you ugly...even though I wasn't exactly without reason with that one.

_Kagome's face burned with humiliation. Since then, her face had healed up quite nicely, and there was only a faint scar here and there._

Was that from Kamikaze?

(mutters) Who else?

Yeah, well...sorry for calling you ugly.

It's okay. I don't care.

_The edge that her voice had developed brought an end to that conversation, and Inuyasha sighed, leaning against the building._

Well, anyways...tell me when you're ready to go.

Go where?

There's a friend of mine who lives around here. I haven't been in contact with her for a while, but she'll put us up for as long as we need shelter. I suspect that you'll be on the news before long, so we need to stay on our toes.

_Kagome nodded wordlessly, still a little highstrung at the mention of Kamikaze. Sure, he was a long ways away from even picking up her trail, but he'd managed to sneak up on her in the past. What made this time any different?_

_She looked at Inuyasha and got her answer._


	7. VII

_Kagome yawned. The moon was high in the sky, and according to her watch, it was a little after midnight. This time, Inuyasha didn't seem to be in much of a hurry, so he was walking in front of her._

Sleepy?

No...just a little tired. I'm surprised _you _aren't.

Don't need sleep.

Now _that's _bizarre. Weren't you the one running with me on your back for, like, twelve straight hours?

Something like that. (rolls arms) You were a little heavy.

(flushes in embarrassment) Shut up! You weren't _asked _to carry me, you know!

It's not like you could've kept up for long enough to elude the police. Besides, they do have those dogs, and they'd sniff you out immediately.

What about _you_? (sarcastic) What are you, scentless?

Not particularly, but a) I was running much too fast to leave a lasting scent, and b) I ran in the water before we got into the forest, so even if they got _that _far, they'd come to a dead end since half of my body was immersed in water.

(snorts) Smart guy.

(smirks) Have to be.

When are we getting to this place anyway?

It won't be long. Would you believe she's a priestess?

...Not particularly...I thought priestesses hated demons.

Nah, that's a myth. In some cases, they do, like when an exorcism needs to be performed, but they don't worry about humanoid youkai like me who have souls and can think for themselves.

Ah...I guess you learn something new everyday, huh?

Yep. Speaking of...you wouldn't happen be of religious ancestry yourself, right?

_Kagome looked at him strangely, and he looked over his shoulder at her, his face serious._

No...why would I be?

Just a question, is all.

_But for some reason, Kagome strongly doubted that. No way was that "just a question"; there had to be some reason behind it. But what was the reason?_

It's impossible for me to be a priestess, you know. I'm designated to go to hell, and the lucky ladies of the cloth already know they're hitting clouds.

Not necessarily. There are some practitioners of the darkness. My friend is one of them.

Oh? Maybe she can teach me a few tricks.

_Kagome had only been joking, but Inuyasha remained in grave silence. What did that __**mean**__?! She absolutely hated when people were all cryptic with her. Did they think it was cool? It wasn't. It was just plain annoying._

Hey, carry me on your back the rest of the way.

(laughs in disbelief) _What?_

Yeah, I just decided, I _am _sleepy.

No way! I carried you _this _far! You don't think you can walk a few more minutes?

Do you _want _me to collapse? Then it would be so much easier for the police to find my body, and it would be all your fault, and you'd be considered a kidnapper, and—

Okay, okay! Jeez...just shut up. You make my head hurt with your prattling.

_Kagome smirked triumphantly, and climbed onto his back, rolling her eyes when he made exaggerated sounds of struggle._

Damn, did you gain an extra ten pounds on the way here?!

Oh, shut up! I am _not _fat! I happen to be very svelte, thank you.

...What does that mean, fat?

(narrows eyes) I hate you.

(chuckles) I return the sentiment gladly. However, since I can't just dump you off any old place without looking like some kind of insensitive criminal, it seems I'm going to have to stick around. Do you much mind?

Anything's better than what's waiting for me "back home".

Then I'll take that as a yes.

Apparently, the same's true for you.

Well, technically, I don't have a home, so I don't really care. I like to roam anyway.

Oh. ...Where do you keep getting money from?

(sighs in exasperation) Why do you _care _so much?

I told you, I _don't_. I'm just very intrigued. I thought you said you were homeless.

I am. But that doesn't mean I can't do odd jobs for cash. If you're gonna be rambling these lands with _me_, you're gonna need to be bringing in a little income as well.

I don't "work".

Because...?

There is no because. I just don't work.

Why? Can't do anything?

I can do plenty!

Such as...?

...Well, I...hmm.

Then there's my answer.

Well, shit, you act like I'm gonna be around you forever!

How long till you turn eighteen?

(mumbles)...Five months...

I thought as much. If you go off by yourself, sooner or later, people will notice, and they'll start asking you all kinds of questions, until you're right back in Kamikaze's house for the remainder of your seventeenth year.

(silence)

So really, you don't have much of a choice in the matter, hmm?

When you put it like that, I guess you're right...

Listen, don't worry about the job thing, alright? I was just kidding anyway. I'm sure Tsubaki will help us out on the money front.

Okay. ...(chuckles) You do know I wasn't worried to begin with, though, right?

(smiles) I figured as much.

* * *

_Needless to say, Kagome never did go to sleep, out of pure curiosity. What would a dark miko's home look like? Black, perhaps? Maybe a few splashes of purple for effect?_ _Strangely enough, the small house—or rather, large hut—that Inuyasha stopped a few yards away from was neither of those. It was just a normal looking log hut._

...This is it?

Yep. Why? Not up to par with your usual standard?

That's...not it. It just seems so...I don't know, Feudal Era-type.

That's about how long she's been here.

Wow. So...she's an old lady?

GUESS AGAIN, DEARIE!

_Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin—and off Inuyasha's back—when the woman just popped out of her door like one of those inflatable arm-waving dolls at a car dealership._

(startled) WH)AT THE HELL?!

(cackles evilly) I am Tsubaki, the great priestess of darkness, and I knew that you would be here before you even knocked upon my door! Bwah-ha-ha-ha!

_To be brutally honest, Kagome was scared out of her wits. But Inuyasha didn't seem fazed in the least. In fact, he chuckled, shaking his head._

You mean you saw us coming from the widow's peak.

_Tsubaki blinked at him, then grinned._

Yeah, I did. You got me! (laughs)

Don't I always? (rolls eyes)

Well, come in, come in! I can tell you've had a very long journey, what with the whole (whispers) _police business_.

_Kagome stared at her, then at Inuyasha, who beamed, going in the house after her. How did she know about that? Kagome ran in after them._

(hisses in Inuyasha's ear) You _told _her?!

(whispers back) How much of an idiot are you? I told you I hadn't had contact with her in a while; she probably already knew about it. She is a dark priestess, after all.

(Startles Kagome) Yes, I am! And my powers are beyond your human comprehension!

_Okay...**that **was going to freak Kagome out. With a tired sigh, Kagome sat at the small table, as did Tsubaki and Inuyasha, Tsubaki wearing a large grin. For a dark priestess, Kagome noted, she sure did smile a lot._

So...Inuyasha. This is your girlfriend, no?

(both redden) NO!

Oh? (blinks) Usually, I'm on the mark with these relationship guesses—I mean, _predictions_. Hehe. Then this is a friend.

Not r—

Of course she is! (Waves him off merrily) A friend of a friend is she, and thus a friend to a friend is...me!

(Kagome, confused) ...Huh?

(Inuyasha waves it off) Don't ask.

Now, then. Onto this...(whispers) _police business_. You know I simply adore them, Inuyasha, but I just can't seem to bear their presence for too long, you understand.

(anime-sweatdrops) Yeah...

So! Should they happen to discover these whereabouts, I'm afraid I would have to either ask you to leave...or participate in a little experiment of mine. It's nothing _terribly large_, just a bit of invisibility potion here, disappearing powder there, you know...the usual.

If you don't mind me saying, you sound like more of a witch than a priestess to me.

(gasps dramatically) WITCH?! Oh, no, no, _no_, my darling child! You see, I am no _witch_. (chuckles condescendingly) We dark priestesses were around way before this whole _witch _business began. You see, we _began _the "witch" notion. We were the ones making all sorts of potions and such, then all the way to the west, those Puricans or whatever they're called, began copying _us_ and thinking their obviously powerless human women were "dark priestesses". But you see, dearest Kagome, they did not understand our language then, and did not try to, so the word "witch" was formed. Understand that they were _jealous _of our powers, and so commenced stoning rituals and "witch hunts". I suppose it caught on here, because the (whispers) _police _have a bit of (whispers) _business _with me.

_Kagome sat, stunned. She didn't fully understand all that Tsubaki had just said, but she definitely understood that last sentence—Tsubaki was a felon._

Uh...okay...?

So then, you agree to do my experiments! (laughs) Oh, how lovely! Now, then! Inuyasha, where is Kouga, I wonder? Krone has missed him so. (turns to Kagome) Krone is my cat, you understand. His name is short for "kuroneko", but I figured everyone's calling their black cat that, so I changed it up a bit. I'm innovative, you see. (winks)

(Inuyasha shakes his head with a laugh) Kouga's gone away for a bit. He's got some police business as well.

(nods gravely) Ah...well. No one likes (whispers) _police business_, do they?

(Kagome asks) You have a cat?

Oh, of _course_, dear! You see, there's this book I've been reading. I had it translated from English to this fine language of ours, and it intrigued me so! It talked of "familiars", which are animals in which our powers manifest. So I figured I should find myself a familiar, and what do you know? Then came Krone!

(flatly) She didn't _find _Krone, she _stole _Krone.

An egregious lie!

(flatly) She stole Krone from the zoo. He's not a cat. He's a panther cub.

(Kagome gapes) You have a _panther _in your house?!

(pouts innocently) He's just a little bitty one, nothing more...and besides, _tattletale_...(glares at Inuyasha) I've made it so that he remains a cub, but gets just as strong as an adult panther! That way, he stays small and unsuspicious to the naked eye—namely the (whispers_) police, _as well as cuddly and furry for me!

Wow. Is that why the police are after you?

It's only one of the reasons, dear. You see, I have reason to believe that the (whispers) _police _are direct descendants of those Putirans. They're jealous of my powers as well! Thus, they very much want to see me locked up in one of their prisons, so they can harness my power for themselves! Oh, they're such envious pigs!

(flatly) That's not why they're after her.

(huffs) Inuyasha!

They're after her because she has a two mile long police record.

He speaks untruth, Kagome!

_Kagome wanted to laugh at their antics, but she was feeling much too sleepy. She stifled a yawn, startled when Tsubaki gasped._

Oh! How inconceivably _rude _of me! Here I am, beguiling you with stories of my many adventurous capers, and you're sleepy! Well, let me just concoct you a bit of tea to help you sleep.

(yawns) I'm not sleepy...

Nonsense, dear, of course you are. I'd like to chat with my old friend anyway, so you just let old Krone make you a spot of tea! (claps hands)

_A young, black cub strode into the room, stopped at Kagome's feet, and continued into the kitchen. Kagome blinked. Apparently, she was supposed to follow him. So she did, and left Inuyasha and Tsubaki to talk about whatever she was talking about._

* * *

Black Ice: Wow, this chapter was particularly long, huh?

Blood Rain: Personally, I liked it, even though I didn't type it.


	8. VIII

_The bright morning sun was what woke Kagome the next morning, and she cracked open her eyes, stretching her tired limbs. Honestly, she didn't even want to get up out of this strangely comfortable bed...she didn't even remember getting in a bed last night. What exactly had been in that tea...?_

_Kagome shook her head wearily, deciding she didn't really want to know, and she sat up in the bed, looking around blearily. The room was simple, the walls a light pink. She grimaced, pursing her lips distastefully. It was the same color of her own room back in Sapporo. She had begged her mother to get them painted her favorite childhood color, but as soon as her mother died, Kagome found that she absolutely despised it._

You don't like it?

_She turned her attention to Inuyasha standing in the doorway._

What, the room? No, not really. (shrugs) Pink's not my color.

(chuckles) I didn't figure as much. You seem more of a...dark blue, probably black.

(blinks) Actually, onyx, but dark blue is my second favorite color. How'd you know?

Lucky guess, is all. You _are _actually pretty predictable.

Piss off. Why is this room pink anyway?

Well...Tsubaki just took a little peek into your memories, that's all.

SHE WHAT?!

Relax, it wasn't like—

--she totally invaded my privacy?! No, I think it was _exactly _like that! Where is she, anyway?!

(blinks) I dunno. She was gone when I woke up, along with Krone.

_Kagome groaned, massaging her throbbing temples. How could he defend such an flagrant intrusion of her privacy?!_

Whatever...I'm hungry. I hope there's some food around here.

Of course. Make your way to the kitchen, fix what you want.

_Kagome fidgeted a little under her covers, then blanched. Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow._

What's wrong with you?

Uh...you need to leave.

Why?

So I can get out of bed!

...?

I—(whispers) I don't have on clothes!

_Inuyasha turned red to his very eartips and turned away from her, clearing his throat nervously._

Oh. Do you want a towel or something?

_Something _would be appropriate!

I guess I could get you something from Tsubaki's dresser...

Hurry up and do that!

_He scurried out of the room, and Kagome sighed, embarrassed. But this surprised her. Why did it embarrass her to tell him that, when she was not even a virgin?_

_When he came back, Kagome wanted to laugh at the way he held, amongst a bunch of clothes, a black bra, pinched between his claws as though it were contaminated._

Here...

_He put it on the foot of the bed and left the room without another word, his blush distinct. Rolling her eyes, Kagome pushed away the covers and looked at Tsubaki's clothes, all of them black. They were nice, but they seemed a little small, especially the shirt and bra. With a sigh, she figured it would just have to work. She put on the clothes and looked at herself in the full-length mirror on the wall. The blouse's sleeves stopped at her elbows, and the jeans were a somewhat snug fit, but otherwise, she actually looked...good._

_She walked out of the room and went down the short spiral staircase to the kitchen, where Inuyasha was warily sniffing a jar of clear liquid._

What's _your _deal?

(doesn't look at her) You've really gotta be careful in Tsubaki's house. She doesn't label her potions and whatnot, so you don't really ever know what's...indigestible...and what's not. Do you think you can wait until she comes back? I'm sure you're not _that _hungry, right?

(shrugs) I guess.

_Inuyasha shook his head and closed the jar back, then turned to her. His eyes widened and the jar slipped from his hands, breaking on the floor._

Ah! Shit! (hisses)

_The liquid spread all over the floor, smoking and sizzling. Pursing her lips, Kagome stepped back, smirking at Inuyasha._

A bit clumsy today, are we?

(mumbles) The...jar slipped. Uh.

_Nervously, Inuyasha scratched his head, staring up at the ceiling._

(quirks eyebrow) You're gonna just leave it on the floor, then?

Huh? ...Oh! The—crap!

_He jumped across the steadily spreading liquid and started looking for a mop. Kagome rolled her eyes, shaking her head._

Boy, you're certainly off your mark today, huh?

(snaps) I haven't been here in a while, okay?!

Hey, cool it, buddy! I'm not the one who broke the jar of...whatever that stuff was.

Just forget it—could you _please _help me look for a mop?

I shouldn't...since it wasn't my fault...but I'll do it anyway. Just 'cause I'm such a nice person.

_Kagome went into the entrance room, searching for anything like a mop._

There's not anything in particular I should look for, right? I mean, priestesses don't use ops different from normal people, do they?

Actually, they do, now that I think about it...ever heard of a squibble?

What the hell is a _squibble_?

It's a kind of little oni that pretty much eats anything, if you know how to control it. A kind of vacuum cleaner. Of sorts.

Does Tsubaki have a...squibbler?

_Squibble_.

Do I _look _like I care?

No. But I can't remember. If she does, it's probably sleeping, since squibbles sleep twenty-two hours out of the day.

Well, let's go find the little bugger and wake it up.

Bad idea.

_Why?! _God, since when were there so many semantics involved in cleaning up a spill?!

Since it was discovered that squibbles are deadly when awakened.

...(sighs) I'm going back to bed.

Hold on, hold on. It's probably on the ceiling or something. (cranes neck upward)

Oh, delightful. A murderous dust sucker. What's next, a-a demon that cools the food in your refrigerator by magnetically sticking to the outside of it?

Well, actually--

Ah-ah! I don't want to _know_!

* * *

_By the time Tsubaki returned, the liquid had burnt a hole in the floor, and Inuyasha and Kagome were watching television, pretending they didn't know what had happened. She waggled her finger scoldingly at them._

Inuyasha, has it really been that long since you've been here?! You know where the squibble is!

No, I _didn't_.

Yeah, and we looked all over for that stupid thing.

(sighs) Tsk tsk. Krone, fetch one of the weavers from upstairs.

...Weaver? (looks expectantly at Inuyasha, who shrugs)

Hell if I know.

(puts on bright educational tone) A weaver is an oni able to stretch itself over a hole and pose as a supplementary surface.

(sarcastic) Gee, thanks, G.I. Joe. Is knowledge power as well?

Well, technically, it is.

_Kagome and Inuyasha anime-sweatdrop, as Tsubaki follows Krone upstairs._

Your friend's weird, dude.

Yeah...I know. I know.

When can we leave?

As soon as you make an appearance on the news, we've got to leave. But until then, it's best that we stay here.

You...really think it'll get that bad?

_Kagome bit her lip, scared and worried. She was certain Kamikaze wouldn't care **that **much...right? After all, he could always find some other unsuspecting woman with a daughter, couldn't he?_

_But even she knew that was untrue. Like it or not, she was linked to him. It had taken him ten years to possess her; Kagome knew him too well to think he'd waste another ten years on someone entirely different. No, she was his, and she knew it. Being the skeptic that she was, she also knew she couldn't elude him forever, even with Inuyasha's help. How long would it be before he either found her or gave up? How far would she and Inuyasha be able to go before something happened to jeopardize their journey?_


	9. IX

_Later that evening, while Inuyasha was running an errand for Tsubaki, she called Kagome downstairs._

Yeah, Tsubaki?

(smiles) Kagome, come here; there's something I'd like to show you.

_Though somewhat wary, Kagome followed Tsubaki over to a bookshelf, laden with alchemic recipes and other such books._

Now, you must forgive me for this minor example of convention.

_Kagome quirked an inquisitive eyebrow, but before she could ask, Tsubaki stood on her tip-toes and pressed what was apparently a button atop the bookcase. It slid into the wall with a mechanical whir, revealing a dark room. Kagome gaped. It was like something out of a spy movie...but then again, ever since she met Tsubaki, things had seemed so unreal._

Come in, come in! Don't be afraid of the darkness.

_As if in a daze, Kagome followed her in the room, and the bookcase returned to its original place, enshrouding the entire room in darkness. Kagome began to get fearful, and as if sensing her consternation, Tsubaki put her hand on her shoulder in a reassuring gesture. How could she possibly see in all this pitch black?_

Why...why did you bring me here?

I ask you, though I already know: can you see?

N-No...of course not...how can you?

(smiles) The power of darkness propels my sight. I sense it in you, Kagome; strong, yet dormant. Why do you hide it?

_Kagome gasped, her heart racing. She had a dark heart? All those times she envisioned herself within the fires of hell...was it truly just depression? Or could there be deeper meaning to the feeling of hatred and anger she so frequently possessed? _

I...(swallows hard) I don't have darkness in me.

Ah, that is where you err. Everyone bears the weight of darkness, some more than others. I feel as though you can utilize your negative emotions in a better way...one not so self-destructive, you understand.

Self-destructive?

Your soul is crumbling to pieces, dearest Kagome, and I fear it may soon disintegrate completely if something is not done.

(slightly hysterical) I don't want my soul to disintegrate! But...I don't want to be _evil _either!

(chuckles) Darkness doesn't always equate with evil, Kagome. Just most of the time. But in cases like mine, it doesn't. As long as you use it the right way, that is. Listen to me, Kagome: I can teach you how to reconstruct your soul, as well as tap into your darkness and exploit it as your own.

...

_Kagome was at a complete loss for words. Part of her urged her to accept Tsubaki's help, but the other part of her feared Tsubaki, for some reason._

(gulps) So...you're saying...if I...let you teach me how to do all that stuff...I'll become a dark miko as well?

(nods) Yes. So you'll accept?

...Will this power help protect me from...Kamikaze?

I solemnly swear to you, Kagome: under my instruction, no mortal shall be able to harm you again.

_Spurred by excitement, Kagome chased away her fear and nodded._

Okay. I accept.

(beams brightly) Wonderful! But there's just one condition I ask of you, Kagome darling.

What's that?

Do try not to inform Inuyasha of this little deal, won't you? I don't want him worrying over you.

(pinks) Worrying? That guy doesn't like me; why would he _worry _about me?

(laughs heartily, clapping Kagome on the shoulder) My pupil, you have much to learn! But first things first—and consider this your unofficially official first lesson—in order to embrace the darkness, your senses must be acute. You must be able to see, hear, smell, taste, and _feel _the darkness whenever it is in your vicinity.

...

Can you see the darkness, Kagome?

Well, yeah...

Good, good. Can you hear it?

(silence)

W-what does it sound like?

(grins) I cannot _tell _you; you must _know_. That's the distinctive line between mortality and darkness: any mortal can _see _darkness, but it takes a true shadow—that's the general name for we denizens of darkness—to perceive it with all five senses.

So...what am I?

(grinning still) Well, I'd say you're more a speck of darkness...you know, an Amateur Shadow...we like to call you sods.

(sarcastic) Gee. Thanks so kindly.

So! Let's get started, shall we?

What, so soon?

Sooner, the better! (gets serious) You see the darkness. Now it is time to see _past _the darkness. Concentrate yourself, Kagome. Try to tell me how many fingers I'm holding up. (holds up three fingers)

_Kagome bit her lip, squinting as hard as she possibly could, until she felt like her eyelids would bleed, and she sighed in defeat._

I can't.

No, you _can_. You're just not trying hard enough. Rely on your sense of perception, not your sense of sight.

(confused) _What?_

(pauses, then sighs) Nevermind for now. Inuyasha's coming soon. We'll pick this up later, okay?

_Kagome felt Tsubaki move past her, and in a matter of seconds, the bookcase moved again to allow them to leave. Kagome's pupils dilated against the sudden rush of light attacking her eyes, and she hissed. Tsubaki chuckled._

That's usually the reaction you're supposed to get.

_The two walked back into the entrance room, and the bookshelf closed itself again. Inuyasha came through the door with a bunch of bags in his hands._

Here's all your crap, Tsubaki. (grunts as he puts the bags on the couch, then crosses his arms) And this is the last time I go "shopping" for you. Oh, and my _sincerest _apologies if the bear's blood you asked me to get is a little tainted with my own. It was _entirely _by accident that I let it claw my arm up.

_He held up his wounded arm with a scowl, his tattered sleeves hanging limply, and Kagome winced, while Tsubaki laughed._

Wow. That bear really jacked you up, huh?

Don't start with me, okay?

_Smirking, Kagome held up her hands in resignation, and Inuyasha rolled his eyes in annoyance, going up the stairs to his room._

Ah, he'll get over it. Come, Krone!

_Though the cat had previously been nowhere in sight, he appeared suddenly at Tsubaki's side like he'd been there all day._

We must go while the blood's still hot, my little kitten. Kagome, would you like to see our latest experiment? We're attempting to create a mini army of killer bears...something like Gremlins, you know, but deadlier.

Uh...okay?

(beams) Excellent!

TSUBAKI!

_Kagome and Tsubaki blinked, looking at the stairs as Inuyasha came stomping down them, looking pissed._

Have you been conducting your dumb experiments in my room?! Rats are all over the place!

_Tsubaki looked sheepish, while Kagome blanched._

Rats?!

Krone must have been tampering with my multiplier again. He does get so hungry...

Hungry--?! I am _not _sleeping in that room!

(shrugs) Then I suppose you'll have to sleep in Kagome's room until Krone eats them all, or I get rid of them.

(both) WHAT?! NO WAY!

Well, you can't sleep in _my _room, and the living room belongs to Krone...I wouldn't recommend sleeping in the kitchen or in the hallway...hmm. Ah, well; I'm sure you'll figure something out. Come, Krone!

_Kagome and Inuyasha gaped at Tsubaki as she took her bags and went up the stairs, the ever-faithful Krone in tow. The two looked at each other._

You...know I'm not sleeping in your room, right?

Hell, _I'm _not even sleeping in my room. Screw that. I _hate _rats.

I'm gonna take a walk, then. (heads for the door)

Hold on there, Jethro—there's absolutely no way you're leaving me here by myself with those _rats_ while Tsubaki stays cooped up in her room doing who knows what with that crap you got her.

(chuckles with a shake of his head) Feel free to come along then.

_The two left the house, and began walking. Kagome concentrated on seeing **through **the darkness of the night, even though she still didn't fully know what Tsubaki had meant._

**Rely on your sense of perception, not your sense of sight.**

_Why did she have to be so damned cryptic? What did that even **mean**? Kagome huffed in frustration._

Hey, dude.

Huh?

Do I seem like an angry person to you?"

(laughs) Angry? Well, if you ask _me_, you're more...attitudinal, easily annoyed, impatient...but angry? Nah.

What about hateful?

I don't sense that.

Oh. Thanks.

No problem. Where'd those questions come from? They seem pretty random.

(reluctant) Well, no...not _random_, per se...Tsubaki said she sensed a lot of h-hatred in me.

Oh. That figures. (shakes head)

(slightly hopeful) What? You think her judgement was misguided?

No, far from it. Tsubaki's eccentric, certainly, but her predictions are always right. I was just saying, hatred would be a typical emotion to have after all you've been through.

Oh. (mumbles) Yeah, sure, I guess. (takes on nervous silence, scratching neck) How come you're so nice to me?

...Nice? (quirks eyebrow) If I'm not mistaken, I demean your intelligence and gumption on a daily basis. If that's nice, I shudder to see mean.

You know what I mean. (becomes suspicious) Is there some ulterior motive to your kindness? Are you trying to take me to some remote location and rape me or something? Because I'll find some way to kill you, hanyou or not.

(chuckles) Remember when I said you were creative?

Yeah.

I stand by that. And I do believe you'd find some off-the-wall way to kill me...if I had an "ulterior motive", that is. But that's a funny notion; if I were "trying to take you to some remote location and rape you"..."or something"...don't you think I would have the sense to have done that already instead of bringing you to the residence of my most perceptive peers?

I don't know you well enough to answer that.

_Inuyasha laughed at this._

Kagome, trust me when I say this: I don't save the lives of just anyone. But if I ever have—and yours is the first—then there's obviously something special about that person that brings out the altruistic side of me. A side that even _I _rarely see, mind you.

_Kagome's stomach did a few inexplicable flip-flops, a reaction accompanying the strong flush overtaking her skin. He thought she was special. So the hell what? Just because he was the only man to ever tell her that, not to mention the only man to ever be so benevolent to her, it didn't mean it was true. It just meant he had a very distorted perception of reality, that's all._

Does that answer your question? I think I got a little off track for a minute.

(still blushing) Um...y-yeah, it did. Thanks.

* * *

Black Ice: Ooh! Extra romantical for youse!

Blood Rain: (grimaces) Stop it. You know you don't talk like that.

Black Ice: You don't know what I talk like, bitch!

Blood Rain: (deadpans) I'm around you for practically all hours of the day. It's virtually impossible for me _not _to know every aspect of your life.

Black Ice: (thinks a moment) Oh, yeah. I forgot.

Blood Rain: Well, now you remember. And call me bitch one more time and I'll tear out the right hemisphere of your brain.

Black Ice: (gasps) NO! I _need _that part! I'm left-handed! (scurries away)


	10. X

Black Ice: Real bright idea, Rain.

Blood Rain: (sulks) Shut up...

Black Ice: (drawls) It was Blood Rain's idea to make the dialogue in the story look like it does, saying it added a kind of mysteriousness to the story. But now it's just getting annoying, and it diminishes the text. Thus, once more must one of Rain's bright ideas come to an end.

Blood Rain: Oh, shut the hell up!

Black Ice: (ignores her) After the first portion of the story, we're gonna start doing it the regular way, but in that way, the story's going to be most likely entirely italicized. Tacky? Certainly! Hope that doesn't annoy anyone. And if it does, oh, well. Better than what Rain proposed, right?

Blood Rain: I'm going to strangle her. I'm going to strangle you, Ice. You realize that, right?

* * *

_The month of May was nearing its end, and one particular day marked ten days of Kagome and Inuyasha's sojourn at Tsubaki's home—May 30th—when they discovered that Kamikaze was coming close to them._

_Kagome had finally mastered her first lesson, seeing through the darkness, and was currently on her second: befriending it. It was sometime around midnight; Tsubaki had informed Kagome that this was the darkest hour of the day. Inuyasha was asleep in his room, and all the lights in the house were off for Kagome's concentration. She was meditating in the front room, a practice that Tsubaki called "becoming one with the darkness"._

Kagome.

_Tsubaki placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and Kagome looked up at her solemn face._

What's wrong, Tsubaki?

I can sense it. A malevolent force...searching for you.

_Kagome's face remained even, like Tsubaki taught her the day before, but her insides were twisting like helixes._

You must leave this place and find your own way amongst the darkness. You understand me, right?

Of course, sensei. I understand.

And you will also understand that, if you were to return here once you leave, I shall no longer be here.

(bites lip somewhat nervously) I...understand.

(smiles, embracing Kagome) You were a good pupil and a good friend. I know you'll be able to defeat him.

Thank you, Tsubaki.

_Kagome got up and went up the stairs, into Inuyasha's room, where he slept haphazardly, his leg and arm dangling over the edge of the bed._

Inuyasha, wake up!

_Kagome grabbed him by the leg and yanked him off the bed. He landed on the hardwood floor with a thud and a yelp._

(groggy and annoyed) Was that necessary?

Very necessary. Tsubaki just told me Kamikaze's near and he's looking for me.

_Inuyasha got up immediately, swearing so nastily it startled Kagome._

Fuck...I hadn't finished planning for this...

"Finished"? What the hell do you mean?

(looks at her sternly) How well do you know Kamikaze?

Pretty well, I guess.

Do you suspect he might have the keisatsu looking around in the cities we've already left?

He would be that tactful, but I don't know that he'd actually do it.

Then we can't go back to Sapporo...

Why were you going back to Sapporo?

I—(sighs in slight impatience) We'll have to talk on the way.

On the way _where_?!

_Despite her obvious lack of knowledge on his cryptic plans, Kagome followed him out of the house and jogged after him._

Inuyasha, if you're gonna tell me what the hell you're planning, then do that, damn it!

I'm trying to _think_, Kagome. Shut up for a minute.

(affronted) Ass-fucker.

(ignores her) Okay. This was the original plan: to head back to Sapporo and go to the Chitose Airport from there. We'd catch a flight to Kitakyushu—I have a friend who mines coal around there.

Okay, so what's wrong with _that _plan?

(glares at her)

...Oh, yeah. I forgot...we just left Sapporo.

Exactly, genius.

So now what?

Well, I guess we have to find a way to either...Asahikawa or Obihiro. There are airports near both of those cities, and both airports go to Kyushu.

Which city do we go to?

Choice is yours.

It doesn't matter to me—whichever route is shorter, I suppose.

Then Asahikawa it is.

_Inuyasha stopped them at the mouth of the forest and pointed outward. Kagome looked at all the bright lights of the gas station they'd stopped over at some time ago, but something was wrong...the gas station wasn't the only thing giving off bright light. What were those other colorful lights? Kagome squinted at the lights, and then it dawned on her—they were police lights. The police were here, and Kamikaze right along with them, from what Kagome could see._

What's the plan now? There's no possible way we can get past them without being stopped.

Hmm. I don't know if it would be wise to wait for them to leave, because it looks like they're gonna be there for a while. And even though the cashier was a demon, I still don't know him, and I don't know if he noticed you outside.

There _has _to be a way around this gas station.

_Inuyasha looked around. He finally spotted a large body of water in the distance—the Sea of Okhotsk. With an small, mirthless smile, he turned to Kagome._

Do you know how to swim?

Nope. I have somewhat of a complex with water after Kamikaze nearly drowned me in the bathtub when I was eight.

(clears throat) That's...charming. Uh, are you up to another run through water?

(sighs) Sure, why not? It's so fun, I may just pass out from the merriment of it all.

(chuckles) I feel the same. Hop on my back.

* * *

_And so it began again: Inuyasha running Kagome along the coast of Hokkaido, without one indication of exhaustion or otherwise. Luckily, they didn't have very far to go, but as he ran, Kagome began to ponder again. She'd traveled a farther distance than she ever before had in her life, and though it might not have been that long an interval to some, it was extraordinary to her. Kamikaze was rather averse to allowing her to go many places. Home and school was basically it. Hell, most of the time, he'd wondered why he even let her go to school._

_When the sun began peeking over the horizon, Kagome suddenly requested, "Inuyasha, could you slow down a little? I mean, just for the time being." Inuyasha twisted his neck to stare at her in bewilderment, but he obliged and slowed down._

"_May or should I ask why?_

"_Well..." She hesitated a little. "When I was a kid, I used to always watch the sun rise with my mother. That was when she was alive. Once she died, I was always too tired or beaten to get up so early. I haven't seen a sunrise in nearly a decade. I don't mean to slow us down for something this petty, but--"_

"_Say no more." He interrupted her self-deprecation immediately. "I understand completely. It's not petty, and it's no trouble for me to go a little slower for you. To see the daybreak, I mean." Kagome smiled gratefully, and suddenly, her eyes began to irritate her. Annoyed, she blinked hard a few times, but the irritation persisted. What the hell was wrong with her? Kagome swiped at her defiant eyes, shocked when her knuckles got wet. Was she **crying**?! No, no, she couldn't be. There was nothing to cry about here. She was simply yawning and probably hadn't realized it. Yes, that was it._

_If Inuyasha detected her "tears", he didn't call attention to it, and merely continued walking. Kagome dabbed at her itchy eyes with her shirt, satisfied when they dried back to normal, and turned to the sunrise, liking the slow animation effect._

"_To be honest," Inuyasha said softly, his voice seeming to blend in with the calm auroral atmosphere, "I've never paid much attention to the sunrise before. I always get outside when the sun's over the water, y'know? Right **after **daybreak."_

"_Yeah. That's how it is with me, when I attempt to get up early, but it always fails and I wake up at seven or so. Miss the entire thing."_

"_It is beautiful, though, isn't it?"_

"_It really is. An effective distraction, too." They both nodded and continued walking in comfortable silence. To any unwitting onlooker, the two looked like a pair of lovers on a romantic walk, but neither of them even considered the possibility of spectators._

_That is, until Inuyasha saw what looked like a head peeking up from the water._

"_What the hell...? Do you see that?"_

"_See what?"_

"_That thing in the water. It looks like a head." Kagome turned to the water and blinked. That was definitely a head. But whose was it? Was it the head of a corpse?_

_Apparently not._

"_Oh, such a beautiful couple you make." The voice was strong, and it seemed to be coming from the head. Actually, the head was getting closer—and growing a body. A man was walking out of the water._

"_..." Inuyasha and Kagome were shocked into silence and stillness._

"_Where I come from, hanyou are not allowed to show their faces in public, yet here you are—and with a human lover, no less! That's so romantic." The man finally came up onto the sand, in a black vinyl body suit and a domino mask._

"_...Inuyasha."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Did a ninja just come up out of the water?"_

"_If I'm not mistaken, yes."_

"_Oh. I thought I was hallucinating."_

"_If you are, then so am I."_

"_No, I'm no hallucination." The ninja chuckled. "My name is Akiyoshi, but some call me Katanasan."_

"_...Mister Sword?" Kagome quirked her eyebrows._

"_No...Katanasan. It means "three swords". Which, as you can see, I wield." Kagome and Inuyasha looked at him more carefully. Now they saw that he had one sword on his left, one on his right, and one slung across his back._

"_Oh. Hmm. Well, is there any particular reason you were in the ocean?"_

"_Yeah. A ploy to scare the shit out of innocents? 'Cause it definitely worked, buddy."_

"_No, no, that's not it. Tsubaki informed me that you would be coming around this way, and I am to accompany you to Asahikawa."_

"_So...you're something like a bodyguard."_

"_That's right." Kagome saw Akiyoshi smile through his mask. "Something like a bodyguard."_

"_Hmm. Kagome, I don't know if we can trust him." Inuyasha muttered under his breath to Kagome, and she tentatively analyzed him with her new powers. Akiyoshi scratched idly at his chest._

"_No, he's telling the truth." Kagome whispered back._

"_How can you tell?"_

"_I don't know...I just sense it." Kagome cleared her throat and said aloud, "Okay, Mister Sword, we believe you."_

"_That pleases me greatly."_

"_We move pretty fast, dude, so are you sure you can keep up?"_

"_Can I keep up?" Akiyoshi chuckled. "I ran across water from Kunashiri Island to get here, and that was at midnight. I **think **I may be able to keep up." Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other, then both shrugged._

"_Okay, sure, you can come along." Inuyasha said, and they began running again. True to his word, Akiyoshi was neck and neck with the speedy hanyou, his silk streamers—he had tied them tightly around the hilts of each of his swords—drifting behind him as though the wind itself was following him._

"_But there's something you need to know if you want to join this little runaway clan, Sword Man!" Kagome said over the wind of Inuyasha's running._

"_Oh? What's that, pretty girl?" Kagome was at a loss for words for a moment, blushing a little._

"_Uh...we're not a couple. Inuyasha and I, that is. We're not **lovers**. Our paths just happen to be a little intertwined, that's all."_

"_How intriguing. And lucky for me, ne?" If Kagome wasn't mistaken, he winked at her behind that mask. And if Kagome wasn't mistaken, Inuyasha sucked his teeth._

_What was going on around here all of a sudden?_


	11. XI

_The sun was high in the sky when the three travelers came upon a ravine. _

"_I assume we're close to Asahikawa." Kagome droned when Inuyasha let her off his back._

"_You assumed correctly." Akiyoshi nodded. "This is Sounkyo Gorge, and this..." He gestured to the large mountain to the south of them. "...is Asahi-dake."_

"_Pretty." Inuyasha yawned. "However, as it happens, I'm not particularly interested in a big rock, and I'm pretty sure Kagome isn't, either."_

"_That's a good intuition you have there." Kagome pointed out with a smirk, and Inuyasha smirked back. Akiyoshi chuckled._

"_I figured you wouldn't be. But the only reason I wanted us to stop here is because this mountain is our hideout. If ever trouble strikes in this small town, we merely return to Asahi-dake."_

"_Huh. Now that's pretty clever, Mister Sword." Kagome whistled, impressed, and Inuyasha's smirk fell._

"_I thank you, Kagome-san." Akiyoshi smiled. "Now we should head for town. I'd like to see how far the news is spreading." He walked ahead of them, but Inuyasha made Kagome trail behind with him._

"_I **really **don't trust this guy, Kagome."_

"_Oh, why not?" Kagome waved him off. "Hey, sword guy's cool with me."_

"_You just say that because he called you pretty." Inuyasha huffed._

"_What are you, jealous?"_

"_What reason do I have to be jealous?" Inuyasha drawled. "I just don't trust him, that's all. He seems like the kind of person who would be a spy for evil forces." Kagome stared at him, wondering if she'd heard him right._

"_I'm sorry, I don't believe my ears were cleaned correctly." Kagome dug her fingers around in both her ears and released them with a soft pop. "Okay, what did you say? Did you say Akiyoshi is possibly a "**spy" **for "**evil forces"**? Is-is that what you said? Because that's what I heard."_

"_You make it sound so unthinkable." Inuyasha mumbled._

"_No, it's not unthinkable. I'm surprised you got that impression from me. The impression that you **should **have picked up is that it's **stupid**. What the hell runs through your mind?"_

"_Just forget I even said anything, okay?"_

"_Oh, don't worry—it's forgotten." Kagome snorted, shaking her head. "I still think you're jealous."_

"_Whatever." Kagome walked up alongside Akiyoshi and said, "Yo, Sword Man, tell me about your island."_

"_Kunashiri Island is a peaceful place. It serves as a training ground for all kinds of warriors. I was born and raised there by my mentor, Mushin. He taught me the art of the ninja."_

"_What's the deal on Kunashiri Island, anyway? I know it's on the map and everything, but I've never heard of anyone actually going there."_

"_That's because the island is a mystical place. Only natives can come and go as they please, but foreigners are unable to cross the barrier."_

"_That's so weird! But I guess that's a good way to keep enemies out."_

"_It is. That was the primary reason for the construction of that barrier. But I am glad we're able to leave the island."_

"_Why is that?"_

"_Kunashiri women, while strong and intelligent, are nowhere near as beautiful as the women of Hokkaido." Akiyoshi replied smoothly. Kagome laughed and blushed, embarrassed._

"_Oh, stop, Akiyoshi." She waved him off, trying to clear the red from her face. "Maybe some Hokkaido girls are pretty, but I'm not one of them, trust me."_

"_By the contrary; that is what separates you from other Hokkaido girls—you are a **woman**." Yet again did Kagome's skin flare up._

"_Gimme a break..." Inuyasha mumbled, rolling his eyes as Kagome giggled girlishly. "Hey, if you two lovebirds up there are finished, we're crossing into town now."_

"_Are we? I hadn't noticed." Akiyoshi grinned, his eyes still on Kagome, who looked away, red. "Now, this is the idea that I had. Since you're a hanyou, it's more than likely you won't be very welcome here, Inuyasha."_

"_I'll pin my ears down." He scowled, crossing his arms._

"_The excuse of cosplaying can only last for so long." Akiyoshi warned._

"_I think I can make it long enough."_

"_Well, okay." Akiyoshi shrugged. "Then Kagome, you'll have to pose as my wife...you won't mind, will you?"_

"_Uhh..."_

"_Whoa, Jack, slow down! Why does anyone have to pose as anything?!"_

"_Inuyasha, be reasonable. Her being my wife is more plausible than her being yours." Akiyoshi chuckled, a bit condescendingly to Kagome's ears._

"_Hey..."_

"_What's **that **supposed to mean, asshole?!" Inuyasha growled, getting into Akiyoshi's calm face._

"_It means, maybe you're better off impersonating our servant."_

"_I'll serve my fucking fist in your face, dipstick!"_

"_HEY!" Kagome yelled, running quick interference between the two and postponing a possible fight. "Have you two gone insane?! Stop fighting amongst yourselves! We've got more problems to worry about! And nobody's posing as **anything**! I'm Kagome, you're Akiyoshi, and you're Inuyasha—deal with it!" The males stared at Kagome, who didn't realize she was glowing faint black, until she looked at herself. She cleared her throat, calming herself down so that the light disappeared. "Sorry about that; I got a bit worked up. Hehe...now, like I was saying: Inuyasha, stop picking fights with people."_

"_I **what**?!"_

"_And Akiyoshi, stop fanning flames."_

"_..." Kagome left them both standing in shock and continued on her way into the town._

* * *

_Kagome couldn't stop laughing at the extremely irritated look on Inuyasha's face as he incessantly scratched at his ears. They were staying in a hotel at Akiyoshi's expense, and he was currently purchasing food for them all._

"_Stupid damn fucking pins..." He swore under his breath._

"_Dude, stop picking at them." Kagome snickered. "You're gonna make them come out."_

"_I don't care!"_

"_Well, it doesn't really matter anyway. No one's in here."_

"_RAAGH!" Inuyasha snatched the pins from his ears with a relieved roar, and Kagome fell over laughing. "Thank **God**! I thought I was gonna go insane!"_

"_You looked pretty damn close." She pointed out as he rubbed his red ears._

"_Hey, can I ask you somethin'?"_

"_I guess so."_

"_What was up with the whole...glowing bit earlier?"_

"_...Glowing...?"_

"_Don't play dumb."_

"_I dunno." She shrugged. "Must be some weird side effect of my fucked up mind, don't you think?"_

"_No, I don't think so. I don't think so at all. That's how Tsubaki used to get when she got pissed. So let me ask you this: do you have anything to tell me?" They looked at each other for a long time, but Kagome refused to relent. Tsubaki had told her not to tell him, and so she would comply._

"_Fine." Inuyasha sighed, annoyed. "If you don't wanna tell me, that's just peachy. But that's okay; I'll find out on my own."_

"_I'm sure you would...if there was anything to find out, of course." Kagome said evenly._

"_Yeah, yeah...I bet you'd tell your new boyfriend."_

"_**Boyfriend**?" Kagome laughed incredulously. "Now **that's **hilarious. You're obviously blind. I don't have one of those."_

"_Don't you?" Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow, and grabbed her hands, mocking Akiyoshi. "Oh, my dearest Kagome, you're such a beautiful woman!" He taunted, and though she was red-faced, Kagome couldn't help but laugh. "The girls on Kuniyoshi aren't **nearly **as pretty as **you**! You won't mind pretending to be my wife, will you? I'm so lucky you and servant-boy half-breed Inuyasha aren't together—that gives **me **the opportunity to have you all to myself!"_

"_You're an ass, Inuyasha." Kagome cackled uncontrollably, and Inuyasha smirked, letting go of her._

"_He said all of that crap and meant it."_

"_'Servant boy half-breed Inuyasha?'"_

"_Like I said, he meant it all."_

"_He didn't mean it like it sounded."_

"_How come you're defending him?"_

"_How come you're hating so hard?!"_

"_Uh, in case you haven't noticed, I don't "hate". I--" The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hey, speak of the devil. It's your boyfriend, Kagome."_

"_Hater." Kagome sniffed, getting up and going to the door. She didn't recognize the extremely handsome man behind a bunch of grocery bags in his hand._

"_Whoa, who's that?" Inuyasha shook his head, throwing his guard up._

"_I don't know..."_

"_Very funny, you two." It was Akiyoshi's voice, but they'd never seen this face before._

"_Akiyoshi?" Kagome squinted at him, as though she couldn't believe who she was seeing. "Is that you, dude?"_

"_Who else would it be?" He chuckled. His face really matched his voice now._

"_Uh...where's your...you know, mask?" Kagome blinked, letting him in the room._

"_I had to take it off. People were looking at me funny, like I was about to rob the store or something... Didn't need that."_

"_Oh. Well, what'd you get? I'm starving like a dog." Inuyasha started rifling through the bags, but Kagome smacked his hand. "Hey!" He recoiled, frowning at her. "What's **your **problem? I was gonna share."_

"_Don't be a pig. We gotta put the food in the refrigerator before you just start plundering like that!"_

"_What are you, my mother?" Inuyasha grumbled, but when Kagome shot him a piercing glare that made him flinch, he began to help her put the groceries away. Akiyoshi laughed, sitting on the couch. "How come Frodo over there's not helping?"_

"_Because, dimwit, he brought **and **bought the food."_

"_You say it like I couldn't've done the same."_

"_The point is that you **didn't**." Kagome commented with a wry smile. "And thus, you're putting away groceries."_

"_What kind of sucky grocery shopping did **you **do?! There's no fucking ramen in here!" Inuyasha spluttered. "How the hell do you expect—jeez!"_

"_You're so ungrateful!" Kagome yelled, hitting him in the head. "He goes out and buys a bunch of wonderful food and you're complaining over some damn instant noodles! I can't believe you!"_

"_Hey, is it my fault he doesn't know how to shop?! And stop hitting me! You won't like me if I hit you back!"_

"_I have a feeling we've already been through this conversation, and I remember how it ended. Stop now while you're ahead." Kagome huffed, pushing past him. Inuyasha scoffed as well, mumbling, "Women."_

"_Trouble in paradise, it seems." Akiyoshi cleared his throat, smiling in amusement._

"_Say one more word, you little shit, and I'll beat your face into the wall." Inuyasha growled, sitting on the floor._

"_Akiyoshi, what do you want to eat?" Kagome called from the kitchen._

"_Anything you cook is more than fine, Kagome-chan." Akiyoshi replied, and Inuyasha gaped at him._

"_Oh, so it's **-chan** now?! And why don't **I **have a say in what to eat?!"_

"_BECAUSE YOUR OPINION DOESN'T MATTER!" Kagome screamed, making Inuyasha's ears flatten on his head._

"_Keh. Stupid woman."_

"_I heard that! Keep talking and the only thing you're getting to eat is hot pan, and I do **not **mean bread!" Inuyasha started to open his mouth, then thought better of it—he certainly didn't want an irate Kagome chasing after him with a skillet. So he stayed quiet, patiently but with no less irritation enduring Akiyoshi's snickering._

* * *

_Later that night, Kagome slept in both of the beds, which had been pushed together for her. Neither Akiyoshi or Inuyasha wanted to be seen as callous or "ungentlemanly", but Inuyasha was the first to suggest Kagome sleep in both beds. Kagome had been startled by this, but she accepted, putting Inuyasha on much better standing with her, to his smug pleasure. But Akiyoshi, never one to be outdone, did the actual pushing, and now he was on the balcony and Inuyasha on the floor._

_What was going on? It was almost as if they were fighting over her or something. Were they insane? Inuyasha had no reason to be jealous of Akiyoshi; sure, he flattered her a lot, and he was nice, but she didn't have much of a romantic interest in him. To be honest, she didn't have the time to be romantically interested in **anyone**, what with the danger of Kamikaze lurking over their heads 24/7—or at least, her head, anyway._

_A light tap on her shoulder startled her and she turned onto her side, seeing Inuyasha's bright amber eyes staring back at her._

"_Inuyasha?"_

"_Were you asleep?"_

"_No...just thinking. What's wrong with you?"_

"_...Are you mad at me?"_

"_Mad? Why would I be mad at you?"_

"_I dunno...I guess 'cause I was making fun of Akiyoshi."_

"_..." Kagome blinked. "Do you think I like him or something?"_

"_Yeah. At least, that's how it seems." Through the darkness, Kagome noticed the red tint to his ears, and absently reached out to rub them. Inuyasha's eyes went wide and his face burned with embarrassment._

"_You're really stuck on this thing, aren't you? Look, I told you—I like Akiyoshi, but I don't **like **him, like him."_

"_That's good." Inuyasha murmured, his voice somewhat distant. "'Cause he's really weird."_

"_Oh, yeah?" Kagome smiled. "Why do you say that?"_

"_Because we're on the fourth floor, yet he's crouched on the railing of the balcony like some kind of spider-cat, and if I'm not mistaken, he's asleep. In my book, that qualifies him as a weirdo." Instinctively, Inuyasha leaned into her touch, making a kind of purring sound deep in his throat._

"_I'd say he's not the only weirdo, **or **the only cat." Kagome giggled, even more so when Inuyasha actually meowed loudly. "You really gotta be more careful with these pins...I think I feel bumps."_

"_I'll let you do it from now on."_

"_I bet you wish you didn't have to do that, don't you?"_

"_Of course I do. But it's not like it's necessary for **me **to leave, so as far as I'm concerned, I'll keep my ears unfastened."_

"_You really should. I like your ears."_

"_You've said that before." Inuyasha breathed, laying his head on her lap, and for some reason, Kagome felt a tickle in her stomach._

"_Yeah, 'cause I meant it." She got no reply. "Inuyasha?" He was fast asleep._

* * *

Black Ice: Aw...! Gotta love the WAFFiness!!! It's so cute!

Blood Rain: Yawn. Where's the actions?! I wanna see some actions!

Black Ice: And that is why you're the action writer, and I'm the romance writer. Keep to that, hear?

* * *

Today's Rant: Casey and Caylee. Enough Said.

Blood Rain: Oh, my freaking _GOD_. I have been hearing about these people since the middle of _last year_. I'm totally all sympathetic and whatever that the kid's dead, okay, fine. It would've been okay if they'd left it at that. But _fuck_, people: they wanna act like they didn't know Casey killed the child! I mean, be for real!! They had _**piles **_of incriminating evidence: the smell of death in the car, Internet searches for whatever the hell that girl was searching for—it's obvious she did it! I mean, damn! They ran this thing to _death_ for most of the year, and now they wanna carry that drama into this year. Just give the bitch life and let's get on with ours!

* * *

Bonus Rant: What Is Nancy Grace's Problem? Is She On Crack Or What?

Black Ice: I'm sorry, but this rant just couldn't wait for another chapter. I honestly think something's wrong with CNN's Nancy Grace. She's freaking _obsessed _with Caylee and Casey, I'm serious. That's all I want to say. Ugh.

* * *

Blood Rain: Ice isn't very good at ranting. That rant was seriously unfunny, and you borrowed from mine. You suck, Ice.

Black Ice: (lip trembles, then she breaks out into tears and runs out of the room)

Blood Rain: (anime-sweatdrops) Eh, let her cry one off...


	12. XII

Black Ice: Jeez, what's with us finding these things?!

* * *

"_Yo, Kagome." Inuyasha called. Kagome was preparing to braise a pepper steak._

"_I told you, Inuyasha, there is no more ramen and there will be no more until tomorrow." Kagome said sternly. They'd been in the hotel a good week or so, and funds were running somewhat low. Inuyasha and Akiyoshi had to get odd jobs to keep their operation afloat. Akiyoshi was still at his job, but Inuyasha had already brought home a few ten thousand yen._

"_No, that's not what I'm talking about." He strolled in the kitchen, leaning against the wall. "Teach me how to cook."_

"_Um, don't you already know how?"_

"_No."_

"_Liar." Kagome chuckled. "You cooked for me when I was sick. Or don't you remember?"_

"_I've forgotten how." Inuyasha stated, and even though she knew he was lying, she smiled in spite of herself._

"_Wash your hands, first off. You're not cooking one thing in this kitchen with those grimy hands." Inuyasha blinked, looking at his hands, then left to do as she bade. Now that was certainly peculiar; Inuyasha barely ever listened to her. Normally, he'd scoff and complain, but now...something in the wash wasn't clean, as her mother used to say._

"_This squeaky clean enough for ya?" Inuyasha drawled, splashing drops of water from his dripping hands onto her face._

"_Keep **that **up, playboy, and you'll be drinking dishwater for the rest of our stay here." Kagome smirked._

"_Okay, I'll be good. What's first?"_

"_Um...you rinse off the steak and I'll chop the peppers and onions." Inuyasha's nose twitched uncomfortably, and he kept his distance as he ran the two steaks under running cold water._

"_What's wrong? Don't like vegetables?"_

"_Peppers and onions make my nose itch, that's all."_

"_Then you can't cook." Kagome frowned, looking at him. "I don't want you sick or something on **my **account. And I especially don't want you sneezing all over the food."_

"_Aw, c'mon, I can hold a sneeze."_

"_That's not healthy. That blows your brains out. Now, shoo, shoo—you can cook another time."_

"_Keh! Fine!" Inuyasha harrumphed, storming out. What was **his **problem? Kagome merely shook her head in confusion, turning on the stove and setting the oil. Boys were strange creatures._

_Inuyasha didn't say anything to her for a long time, even when Akiyoshi came in, immediately complimenting Kagome's cooking._

"_It smells like Gordon Ramsey's been in here!" He smiled, peeking in the kitchen._

"_Yeah, and he left a lime on the couch." Kagome muttered, knowing Inuyasha could hear her._

"_Oh. I'd just assumed he always looked like that. You know. Like gnarled bark." Kagome couldn't help a few snickers._

"_No, not always. He's just pissy 'cause I won't let him cook, but he's such a dunce that he doesn't appreciate the fact that I'm only looking out for his welfare."_

"_Hmm?"_

"_He's allergic to peppers and onions, apparently. I don't know. He went practically ballistic when I kicked him out and now he seems to have taken a vow of silence."_

"_He's mad because you won't let him cook?" Akiyoshi frowned, lowering his voice, and Kagome took her cue to do the same._

"_I think he thinks I just don't want him around or something. Like I think he'll contaminate the food." Kagome couldn't explain it, but she felt somewhat hurt by this. Didn't he know her better than that?_

"_Ah. That's unfortunate. Have you tried to convince him otherwise?" _

_Kagome scoffed, as if the very idea was unthinkable. "Why the hell should I?!" she hissed. "He should **know **better, damn it!"_

"_Apparently, he doesn't, Kagome." Akiyoshi shrugged, and the slam of a door made Kagome cringe. She dashed out of the kitchen, her jaw dropping when she saw that Inuyasha had left._

"_What is his **problem**?!" Kagome yelled, frustrated. Akiyoshi seemed all the more amused when he came in, a smile on his face._

"_If I'm not mistaken, our hanyou friend has quite literally left the building."_

"_I'm glad this is so funny to you, dude." Kagome snapped, and Akiyoshi's smile became guilty. "I'm sorry, Akiyoshi. I hadn't meant to snap."_

"_You must really like him to be so concerned over him."_

"_Wh-what?!" Kagome stammered, face steaming red. She inadvertently recalled the night before, when she'd rubbed his soft ears, and his voice got so low, it had sent shivers coursing through her bones. "**Like **him? I don't **like **him. He just happens to be a guy I'm...traveling with."_

"_Oh?" Kagome thought she'd developed a fever; was Akiyoshi getting closer to her, or was she hallucinating? "And what category do **I **fall under?"_

"_Umm..." And then, the world underwent slow motion. It was as though Kagome was deprived of all her senses when his lips touched hers. Her first real kiss that wasn't forced upon her by Kamikaze, and even then, it didn't feel right. She felt...guilty. As though she were betraying someone. Her eyes strayed instinctively to the partially opened curtains of the balcony doors. Kagome gasped in shock; either her imagination was running rampant, or a pair of dark golden orbs hovered in the darkness of the outside world. "I-I have to find Inuyasha!" She breathed, her heart going into overdrive, and she ran out the door. Her mind didn't have a clue where the renegade demon could possibly be, but her instinct was driving her onto the elevator, to the ground floor, and outside the hotel, where, much to her surprise, Inuyasha sat against the wall, sullen and silent._

_Boy, you're good, she congratulated herself, then said aloud, "Inuyasha?" She sat beside his still form._

"_Leave me alone." He grumbled. "Go play kissing games with your human boyfriend."_

"_So you saw that."_

"_Yeah, I did."_

"_Then you know I didn't kiss him. He kissed **me**."_

"_You let him. And anyway, why do **you **care about the fucking technicalities? You don't like me. I'm just the guy you're traveling with, right? That's what you said to Sword Boy, isn't it?"_

"_You can't possibly believe that."_

"_Believe what?"_

"_That you're...just a means of transportation to me. You're more than that." Kagome sighed, wishing she could make him understand._

"_Yeah, whatever." He stood, staring hard at the ground with his fists clenched. "The hanyou never wins, huh?" That stung Kagome greatly, and she got up as well._

"_Inuyasha, why...why are you so hurt by this?"_

"_I'm not hurt." He was, of that she was certain, but his pride wouldn't permit him to admit it. "I just know when I'm obviously not needed. I hope you and your boyfriend have all the happiness in the world."_

"_I—Inuyasha!" Her cry was futile; Inuyasha was gone. She would have followed him, if it hadn't been for the faint voice coming from what sounded like the dispatcher of a nearby police car._

"_Calling all cars, calling all cars—be on the lookout for a female runaway; 5 foot 3, black hair, gray eyes..." Kagome's eyes widened and she tried to press against the wall to avoid detection. There was no way she could go back into the hotel without its bright lights giving her away._

"_Hey, look, isn't that a kid right there?" One of the policemen said to his partner, squinting in the dark at Kagome._

"_Let's question her; she might've seen that runaway." Apparently, her instinct was feeling impulsive today; she ran, right around the hotel's corner, which couldn't have been a dumber idea, in her later opinion. But in any case, she was certainly no Inuyasha, and she could never hope to measure up to Akiyoshi, and she was getting tired. She stumbled and fell to her knees, cursing herself for her schoolgirl clumsiness, then scrambled to stand again, cringing and squeezing her eyelids shut._

"_Damn. She got away." The policeman's voice was too close for him not to see Kagome, and she tentatively opened her eyes. The two men were barely two feet away from her._

"_Huh?"_

"_What was that sound?" The suspicious officer said, and Kagome clamped her hands to her mouth. This was bizarre...how could they possibly not see her? She was right before their eyes!_

_Carefully, she held out her arm and gasped. There was nothing there._

"_I think we should get back to the car. That kid's long gone and the night's wearing on."_

"_Yeah...I guess." He mumbled, and they left. Once they were out of sight, Kagome released a relieved breath she hadn't even known she was holding. Was she invisible? No...something told her it wasn't quite that. As she mused, her heart rate slowly returned to normal, and color faded back into her skin._

"_Kagome, there you are." She was startled when Akiyoshi came into view, approaching her with a concerned expression. "Are you okay? Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome blinked, and wiggled her fingers in front of her face. She was back to normal._

"_He's gone." She murmured, the sting of Inuyasha's abrupt departure returning with an annoying vengeance._

"_Gone? Where'd he go?"_

"_I don't know. And I don't care either." Kagome huffed defiantly, taking Akiyoshi by surprise._

"_I...sense a spat commenced. Would you like to talk about it?"_

"_Not particularly."_

"_Oh, well, okay. Let's go back to the room, then." As they walked, Kagome noticed how he hadn't bothered to suggest they look for Inuyasha. When they were almost to the hotel, Kagome heard the policemen from before, and it seemed as though they were talking to someone. She looked around and had to stifle a gasp when she saw the silver of Inuyasha's hair in close proximity to the blue of the policemen's uniforms. She paused, pretending to look for something._

"_I could swear I had that thing..." She mumbled, and Akiyoshi looked at her curiously._

"_What's wrong?"_

"_You'll have to go to the room without me. I think I lost something."_

"_Do you want me to help you look for it?"_

"_Nah, I'm sure I'll find it eventually. I'll be up in a few minutes, don't worry about it."_

"_Okay, if you say so." Akiyoshi shrugged, going into the building alone. As soon as he was gone, Kagome dashed in Inuyasha's direction._

"_Look, you assholes, I told you, I'm not "up to anything sneaky". Now leave me the hell alone!" He growled._

"_I don't think so. You half-breeds are just the type of sickos to kidnap an innocent human girl."_

"_Fuck you! I didn't kidnap anybody!"_

"_Ahem!" Kagome cleared her throat, and the three of them looked at her. "Inuyasha, there you are! Father was looking for you for an hour."_

"_You know this dog, ma'am?" One of the policemen quirked an eyebrow._

"_He's our manservant. He accompanied us on our trip here, but he left a while ago to get something for me."_

"_Well, you should really put a tag on him. This one's belligerent." The policemen smirked, but Kagome nodded as if she took them seriously, when in reality, she wanted to choke the life out of them both. She took Inuyasha's hand and dragged him along once the police left._

"_Stupid bastards." They said at the same time, and Inuyasha glared at Kagome._

"_Why the hell didn't you just leave me alone?"_

"_Not likely. I told you I needed you, and I'll be damned if I just let you run away from your responsibilities like that."_

"_I don't **run away **from anything. I just didn't want to be around you two anymore."_

"_Is that really why you left, dude? I mean, short amount of time though it was, I did start to miss you."_

"_Stop lying."_

"_I don't lie."_

"_You just did."_

"_...That doesn't count." Kagome grinned wryly. "That was just a fib for to save your ass."_

"_Let's see. A fib is a collection of three or less lies. So...you said your father'd been looking for me. Lie one. You said I was your manservant. Lie numero two. And you said I left to get something for you. That's a pretty big lie, so I'll count it as two. It all adds up to four lies, making it all just a big ass lie."_

"_What?!" Kagome laughed. "That's not even fair! That last lie only makes three."_

"_Then okay, you said you were looking for me for an hour? Fourth lie."_

"_Okay, okay. You got me." Inuyasha smirked with his small victory. "So...can I assume from this witty back-and-forth that you've forgiven me?"_

"_Under the circumstances, I really shouldn't."_

"_Please, Inuyasha? And you know quite well that I **never **say please, so this must be serious."_

"_It is a pretty rare occurrence." He nodded. "Okay. I'll forgive you on one condition."_

"_...Name it."_

"_Don't kiss Akiyoshi again." Kagome started to laugh, thinking he was being funny, but when she looked at him, his face was the epitome of seriousness._

"_What makes you think I would do that anyway?"_

"_It's my condition. Take it or leave it."_

"_I guess I'll take it." Kagome shrugged, and they went into the hotel._

* * *

"_Check this out, dudes." Kagome said the next morning. "We have got to get the hell out of here."_

"_Yeah. We've been here entirely too long. The police are getting too close, and honestly, it makes me nervous."_

"_Me too." Kagome nodded. "So we need to find somewhere else to go."_

"_Do you seriously think we can evade this man for much longer? I don't see why you don't just give up to him, Kagome." Akiyoshi shook his head, and Kagome stared at him in disbelief, while Inuyasha chuckled bitterly. Kagome got up and left the room without a word._

"_What? What did I say?" Akiyoshi blinked. He winced when Kagome slammed the bedroom door, but because the door was faulty, it merely bounced off of the threshold and remained slightly open._

"_Now that was surprising. I thought for sure she'd beat your insensitive face in."_

"_Insensitive?"_

"_That "man" is her stepfather. He's pretty much a rapist and an overall asshole, especially to Kagome. She grew up with him, and she's never known how to fight back, so when she was given the chance to run, she took it. She hasn't given that chance up yet, and I'm pretty sure she won't any time soon, for you or me or anybody else."_

"_So why don't **you **fight him for her?" Finding that things were getting interesting, Kagome got up and looked through the crack in the door at them._

"_For one thing, I'm a hanyou. If I laid a single hand on that guy, especially since he seems to have ties in high places, I'd be put to death right there on the spot. For two, I won't fight him if she doesn't want me to. If it were up to **me**, we wouldn't even have to be running, but obviously, it's not up to me, so I don't have much say in things."_

"_Hmm. Now here's an interesting query for **you**, Inuyasha." Akiyoshi said smoothly, tapping his bottle of water on the table. "Why did you run away last night?"_

"_I don't think that's any of your business, Akiyoshi." Inuyasha retorted dangerously, crossing his arms._

"_That may be, but I'm not stupid. Kagome went to look for you last night, am I right? That's why you're even here. Because of Kagome." Inuyasha didn't like that insinuation._

"_No, fuckwad, I'm here because I want to be here. The only reason **you're **here is because Kagome's too nice to tell you to go fuck yourself. Now, if you keep toeing the fucking line, I'm going to snatch your head right off your body!"_

"_What's **really **interesting is how you only ran off after I kissed her."_

"_She didn't want to kiss you, motherfucker!" Inuyasha snarled, his anger rising to perilous heights._

"_Is that what she told you?" Akiyoshi chuckled condescendingly. "Oh, poor, dumb hanyou." It was like someone had flipped a switch. Inuyasha lunged across the table, and Akiyoshi danced out of his reach. "Is something wrong, Inuyasha? Can't you handle the truth?"_

"_Lies!" He grunted gutturally, slashing at Akiyoshi. The ninja evaded him easily, but now Inuyasha was getting faster and more vicious. Come to think, his eyes seemed to be changing color. Kagome wondered, should she go out and stop him before something happened? Or would he, with his immense pride, then think she really did like Akiyoshi? She sighed. In a conundrum like that—she flinched when Inuyasha crashed into the coffee table—it was probably best to let them solve it amongst themselves._

_Besides, Akiyoshi was a real asshole. She saw that now. He deserved anything Inuyasha delivered to him._

_But then she started to feel somewhat guilty for that thought, especially when Inuyasha finally caught Akiyoshi by the throat. Now it was time to intervene. Kagome left the room and stepped into the living room, seeing blood seep through Inuyasha's fingers._

"_Inuyasha." She called quietly, and his head jerked around; he was seeing her through eyes she had never seen before, red and blue like conflicting energies. "I heard everything he said. I know you think he deserves to die, and personally, I'm not very far from that opinion either. But trust me, it's not worth it to have his life staining your hands...any more than it already is, anyway." In this beastly state, Kagome wasn't very sure he understood her, but whether or not he did, he let Akiyoshi go nonetheless. The injured ninja sucked up large mouthful of air, glaring wildly at Inuyasha._

"_You'll fucking regret that, half-breed!" He screamed, and tossed a dirty look at Kagome before leaving the hotel room._

"_Are you okay, Inuyasha?" Kagome walked up to him and rubbed his shoulder soothingly. "I can't help feeling that this is all my fault."_

"_Not...your fault." He grunted, and Kagome pressed her hand to his forehead._

"_You're burning up, Inuyasha. You should lay down before you burst a blood vessel." Inuyasha looked like he was about to protest, but then he just laid down on the couch to appease her. "Lemme go get some ice." She was about to turn, when he suddenly grabbed her wrist, startling her. Kamikaze had done that much too often in the past for her not to be wary._

"_You...care?" Kagome blinked, then smiled warmly._

"_Don't be stupid. Of course I care."

* * *

_

Black Ice: For those of you who haven't been in the loop with us lately, we have decided to do a writing contest based on the unanimous vote on our poll. These are the terms.

Either me or Rain will choose one of our unfinished stories. Within the course of one month, we want all those interested to **write the next chapter of the story. **During this time period, we will not be offering our beta services. Don't ask why; we don't wanna hear any complaints.

The chapter has to be at least **five pages long**, in **12-point font **(preferably Andalus font), with specifications as follows:

**0.20" spacing below paragraph;**

**portrait orientation;**

**8.50 page width;**

**11.00 page length;**

**0.79 on all margins.**

The contest officially begins Monday June 15, 2009, at 12:00 noon.

There will be **NO FAVORITISM**. This of course means that your chapter shall be picked based on originality, grammar, punctuation, knowledge of the topic, etc.

Send ALL submissions in **.doc** file format to my email address, ikichira yahoo . com (take out them spaces, y'all). The subject line should be **Chapter Submission **and the email body should contain a short summary of what you've written.

Keep checking our website for updates about the contest information. Remember, everyone is eligible and all content is accepted as long as it conforms to the standards of the story.

I think that's about it for right now... Good luck, peoples! Come noon, come to our website to see what the first story assignment shall be!

Website Address: blackiceandbloodrain . webs . com

(Generic, we know. But do we care? Hell no. ^^)


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